OTTBs' pedigrees for sport?

[dontskipthecafe]

This one is mine: http://www.pedigreequery.com/dont+skip+the+cafe

She’s 15.2, already proven that she can jump, and has quite nice movement. She came away from 5 years and 39 starts completely sound except for the typical unbalanced muscling. I personally love the Skip Trial line, and I’ve heard that they are generally very sound and very athletic. I’ve only met one horse by her damsire Kipper Kelly, but that gelding was eventing at Prelim when I met him and moving up. Just wondering what people think. I would like to event, and if she proves successful I may consider breeding her.

This one belongs to a friend, and this is entirely hypothetical since he isn’t ridden and will never be ridden competitively: http://www.pedigreequery.com/keyhole4.

I’ve had people tell me that his pedigree is outstanding for sport, but he was poorly managed for most of his 6 years on the track and then starved when he got off. So he is physically and mentally kind of fried.

[dynamite0319]

I’m no TB bloodlines expert, but Equus magazine has been running a series about Arabian and TB bloodlines for the past 6 or more issues. I highly recommend reading it to learn about TB bloodlines and how it translates to sport horses today. I’ve learned a ton!

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=dontskipthecafe;8126791]

This one belongs to a friend, and this is entirely hypothetical since he isn’t ridden and will never be ridden competitively: http://www.pedigreequery.com/keyhole4.

I’ve had people tell me that his pedigree is outstanding for sport, but he got raced to death over 6 years and 56 starts (18 of those starts just in his final year). So he is physically and mentally kind of fried.[/QUOTE]

His pedigree is outstanding for sport. Is this Dungrulla’s horse?

Bottom line is very proven, Graustark has several UL horses - Key To The Mint (thru Key Bridge) is outstanding.

I disagree that he was raced to death over 6 years… YMMV. 56 starts is above average but certainly not raced to death.

[Texarkana]

Re: Don’t Skip The Cafe- it’s becoming more and more rare to find Damascus male-line horses. But oh my gosh, can they ever use their hind ends! They are some catty, athletic, little horses (emphasis on the little part). And while normally I wouldn’t be paying all that much attention to a horse in the 4th generation, the Damascus genetics are incredibly prepotent.

Re: the 56 starts on Keyhole. My best horse ever raced 109 times, then went on to be a competitive hunter/jumper. I would not necessarily say Keyhole is done for based on 56 starts alone. Horses that last that long usually have both the physical and mental toughness to be successful at whatever you ask of them. It just often takes awhile for them to understand their job has changed.

[dontskipthecafe]

Right, the issue with Keyhole was that he was already displaying SI arthritis and other physical issues at 3, according to the woman who owned him at the time. She tried to retire him for this reason, but the people she gave him to lied and put him back in training. This is not a horse who should have raced long-term, in her opinion and in mine.

I know that 56 starts alone does not preclude a horse from an athletic career… but this one was not managed as well as he could have been. Perhaps my initial wording was not well thought-out, I have nothing against racing a sound, sane horse that long.

Also yes, he is dungrulla’s.

[dontskipthecafe]

[QUOTE=Texarkana;8127703]
Re: Don’t Skip The Cafe- it’s becoming more and more rare to find Damascus male-line horses. But oh my gosh, can they ever use their hind ends! They are some catty, athletic, little horses (emphasis on the little part). And while normally I wouldn’t be paying all that much attention to a horse in the 4th generation, the Damascus genetics are incredibly prepotent.[/QUOTE]

She definitely has an excellent butt! In fact, one of my concerns has been that she has so much power in her hind end that she doesn’t bother picking up her knees to jump yet. This is her, race-fit in July: http://i.imgur.com/4KddSuw.jpg

[camohn]

Keyhole certainly does have a really good sport pedigree. Conformationally one of the best horses I ever had was by Notebook.