I’m with you. I think it’s a management issue that potential buyers will definitely think about and factor in.
I know laminitis horses tend to suffer re-occurances but given her laminitis was not metabolic but caused by external circumstances, why would that factor in to Lady Eli’s purchase price?
She’ll get to be turned out on pasture most of the time (unlike the stallions which can founder and usually, IMO, metabolic related to lack of exercise and diet).
If I had the $$, I might think about the laminitic episode but not sure how much it would factor into what I would pay for her if I wanted her in my broodmare herd.
2 Likes
As a late thought 
I’d far rather breed Lady Eli than Classic Empire with all his physical and “mental/psychological” issues he’s experienced between foot abscess, sore back (could be related?) and “training issues”. He’s back in Ocala for another refresher break.
1 Like
Looks like Stellar Wind will be joining Lady Eli at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale. Stellar Wind sure has a yummy pedigree (at least to me ).
Sure will be watching their hammer prices for sure 
Lady Eli had a nice decisive win in the Ballston Spa G2t this afternoon at Saratoga.
She brings tears to my eyes every time she wins now knowing what she’s had to overcome to even step foot back on the racetrack
Thanks for the update. Missed that! Just watched a few of the races from Songbird’s until the Travers - didn’t realize Lady Eli was running and that the Ballston Spa followed.
She looked terrific! So inspiring.
Link to the replay.
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/race/usa/sar/2017/8/26/12/woodford-reserve-ballston-spa-s
Lady Eli has been officially retired from racing and has a date with War Front.
It really sounds like her connections have had her best interests at heart every step of her career.
Hope her foal gets her heart and courage.
2 Likes
Just saw that and came here to commiserate. I just love her, and so disappointed we can’t see her run again. But they have done the right thing by her. Always what’s best for the horse. Her story just amazing.
Also just checked to see if she had any recent works, but none posted.
But then coincidentally also saw she was purchased at auction - both yearling and two-year-old for only $160k. A pretty good bargain, considering everything she did, and earnings just under $3M.
Will miss her a great deal. Not as much as her handlers of course.
She’d better win the Eclipse Award!
1 Like
Just curious as to where the arm chair breeders, and those of you who really do this, are on breeding her to War Front?
1 Like
I don’t know about breeding her and putting weight on her after laminitis. Did she founder in all 4 hooves?
I hope the owners have an equine podiatrist on call at Rood and Riddle. The mare made a lot of money and if it would be dangerous for her to carry the weight of a foal, the owners should not breed her.
I have a foundered mare in the barn who had 6 degrees of rotation in both front feet. Caused by metabolic issues. Mare is 100% sound, healthy, energetic. You would never guess that anything happened to her. Breeding Lady Eli will not affect her feet or cause any danger to her because of her previous history with laminitis. If she can carry a jockey around a track everyday, she can easily carry a foal to term.
I would be curious as to what the long term plan for maintenance would be. I am assuming they will likely keep her shod for extra support and I wouldn’t think with a history of laminitis that she could be turned out on lush pasture to graze 24 hours a day. I would think they would have to keep her in a paddock like they do the stallions; with minimal grass to eat. Diet is everything as is exercise!! I would think that a mare like her would require a stall, special pasture and diet and an exercise schedule. Obviously these multi million dollar farms can easily accommodate this
I am surprised the owners did not keep her, and then opt to sell her offspring in the sales.
1 Like
I think War Front is an interesting choice. It is no surprise his stud fee is $250,000. He is an old school pedigree in a world where stallion turnover is huge but is success, I think, is due to what his pedigree is. He is a beautiful stallion, lots of balance, you can see his sire Danzig and grandsire Rubiano in him. Lots of width and strength in him.
Lady Eli is a bit of “old school” herself. Her dam’s pedigree is droolworthy. She was by Saint Ballado (Halo). Her sire Divine Park was shipped off to South Korea. Bet someone is kicking themselves for that now. And Divine Park’s sire Chester House was out of the brilliant Toussaud.
His offspring are most successful on the turf and have done extremely well on US soil as well as in Europe. His young offspring at the sales are selling for $500k - well over 1 million and appeal well to US and foreign buyers.
They obviously chose the mating to maximize profit at the sale. You get the incredible Lady Eli but you also get a foal out of her by the #1 sire and can cash in on the sale of the foal if you so wish. The choice of War Front is very clear from the business perspective.
2 Likes
With that being said; the racing industry needs more people like the owners of Lady Eli. Clearly smitten over their mare and have done right by her every step of the way. In an industry full of drugs, greed, carelessness; it is like a breath of fresh air to see what these connections have done.
4 Likes
If they were mating her for turf sire options; without just profit in mind; I’d save $190,000 and go breed her to Kittens Joy. He’s the #1 Turf Sire; War Front being #3. Kittens Joy offspring have $3 million more in earnings in 2017 than War Front. Sired by El Prado, same sire as Medaglia d’Oro
I’d also consider Medaglia D’oro. He’s $500,000 in earnings being War Front in 2017. Stud fee is the same as War Front. His offspring are in very high demand, as successful as they have ever been. They are beautiful, athletic horses
Or how about More than Ready??
Or lets buy her a plane ticket and send her straight to Galileo in Ireland, Mastercraftsman, Highland Reel, or Dubawi at Darley Europe. If you want to drum up some interest in north America for turf horses that’s one way to do it.
snaffle1987… I like your European suggestions Especially Galileo and Highland Reel.
I’d go Medaglia D’oro over Kitten’s Joy although he does sire decent turf horses. For a sale baby. maybe not KJ so much.
Having said that, I love reading more knowledgeable thoughts on good pairings as I am less than knowledgeable on the pedigree part and would be “guessing” based who I liked on the track
1 Like
What a great race, loved seeing the jockey give her a stroke down the mane, he was on the whip a bit.
I love the match of War Front, the thing I would worry about more than the weight of the foal is the metabolic changes that happen to a pregnant mare. Hopefully it won’t affect her.
2 Likes
Agreed; from a sales perspective, Kittens Joy isn’t a great option but I think he is a great option to cross on her for turf racing/turf pedigree perspective.
Kittens Joy offspring don’t sell well. It’s a product of a poor turf racing market here in the States. Its bad for the breeders and sellers but great for the buyers who are willing to race them on turf! If he was a dirt sire with the type of success he has had; his stud fee would likely be over 100k. He is one of the most stunning individuals standing in N. America currently and it’s no surprise since the beautiful Medaglia D’Oro is also by El Prado. There was a reason why his owners were looking to move him to Europe after poor yearling sales. His booked would be overfull in Europe
I am surprised another El Prado son doesn’t get more in his book as well, Artie Schiller; and Paddy O Prado was only kept in stud in north America for a short time and then shipped to Turkey with Corinthian.
Pick anything with Sadlers Wells up close in the pedigree and I will support that decision to breed to Lady Eli.
these people would never choose these 2 stallions to breed to Lady Eli because they are all about the glitz and glamour of the sales ring but PERFECT SOUL (only stallion in the USA by Sadlers Wells) or SLIGO BAY (Canada) would be high on my list if I were going to breed her to race and boy would that be an affordable mating.
or how about FLINTSHIRE standing at Hill N Dale. By Dansili (Danehill) out of a Sadlers Wells Mare. $9.5 million in earnings, 5x Grade 1 Winner and one impressive resume.
So many options to stir over. But this breeding decision was clearly for the sales ring… sigh.
Who would want a turf horse?? You have 12-14 horse fields; go long on the dirt and you have a 6 horse field.
because that is what Lady Eli succeeded on; turf. That is why she is being bred to War Front. You don’t breed based on how many horses are in a field in a race and the vast majority of horses in the US are no longer bred for distance…except the turf horses. Turf horses frequently run at distances of 1.5 miles or greater (1.5 miles is the distance of the Belmont stakes and its the longest dirt race in the country). Dirt horses barely make It a mile and breeders no longer try to breed for distance in them.
I would want a turf horse over a dirt horse any day.
2 Likes
You also wrote, “If you want to drum up some interest in north America for turf horses that’s one way to do it.”
Hope you have buckets of money then. The average owner can’t afford a horse that needs to follow the sunshine or has to have the winter off every year. And wrt distance - you RARELY see a turf race at 1.5 miles - that’s just crazy. Most of them are sprints. Gulfstream turf races today - 5f, 5f, 1m, 7.5f, 7.5f, Santa Anita turf races tomorrow - 6.5f, 1m, 1m. Maybe you are playing with monopoly money, but those who are playing with real money and need to see some returns on what they are spending would not look for a turf horse. It’s too restrictive. Even in the summer half the entries are MTO and if it rains it scratches down to 5 horses.
1 Like
