Spendthrift - Free Drop Billy to Iowa

[snaffle1987]

I am sad to see Lookin at Lucky go as well.
Happy for the Maryland breeders to have Cupid.

I hope Early Voting can find a dignified second career if he is in-fact removed from stalli0n duties. What typically happens in this case of a non-breeder stallion? Assuming the insurance claim for such a situation needs to go through a proving process with veterinary staff, etc to prove he is unwilling to breed. Would the insurance company demand he be gelded if they proceeded with the payout? Or would they demand the horse be destroyed and a necropsy performed?

[Texarkana]

Probably the most high profile case of this would be Cigar, who was sent to live at the Kentucky Horse Park as part of his insurance claim.

I don’t believe Cigar was ever gelded (can anyone else corroborate that?). I seem to recall the staff there telling me they used to periodically test him to try to gain some insight on his sterility for the sake of academia, but they weren’t allowed to test breed him or anything due to the insurance claim. But this was so many years ago my memory is foggy.

I think we will likely see Early Voting gelded and donated to an aftercare organization for restarting if they don’t place him somewhere like the Horse Park or Old Friends.

[Arzny]

I believe Cigar was entire the last time I saw him at the horse park, so I believe he was never gelded, if he hadn’t been by then.

I presume Early Voting will go to Old Friends or gelded and sold as a riding horse, a la Normandy Invasion.

I have been seeing a lot of comments on Facebook that Ashford should let him pasture breed, which is the only thing I know has an absolute zero possibility of happening, lol.

[Texarkana]

It’s still shocking to me that they put the claim in so quickly when he was successfully breeding horses at the start of this season. Something must have happened that ascertained the hopelessness of his future as a sire. Insurance companies don’t exactly want to pay out on these things.

[findeight]

Perhaps he was performing his duty covering mares but the majority were not catching and/or carrying into the fall? Too low a sperm count or unviable critters? Pasture breeding would not help that even if it was an option. Or maybe he just was not booking enough mares.

Big stallion station has to move ones like this. smaller breeder may be able to deal or be willing to cut him and divert him to a second career.

[Arzny]

Unsure how to put this eloquently, but he was not ejaculating.

Being a son of gun runner, in his first year, they definitely aren’t looking to move him along. This is a legitimate issue, hence the insurance claim.

[findeight]

That certainly explains the decision.

[floppyammy]

@Arzny

Unsure how to put this eloquently, but he was not ejaculating.

Being a son of gun runner, in his first year, they definitely aren’t looking to move him along. This is a legitimate issue, hence the insurance claim.

Thanks for the clarification.

I wonder if this is a physical issue (injury, pain, etc.) or simply behavioral? I guess we will probably never know.

[Texarkana]

@Arzny

Unsure how to put this eloquently, but he was not ejaculating.

Being a son of gun runner, in his first year, they definitely aren’t looking to move him along. This is a legitimate issue, hence the insurance claim.

Thanks for clarification.

And please don’t think I was second guessing the legitimacy of this; I’m sorry if my curiousiy caused that misconception. I have some experience dealing with these types of insurance issues and I know that it has to be serious for them to actually honor the claim. So my reaction is simply surprise that things went sideways so fast given how it was worded in the articles. Like, “yikes! What on earth happened?”

[mommy_peanut]

Classic Empire has recently been relocated to South Korea, according to this.
He sure wasn’t in Japan long.

[Arzny]

The rumor was Japan, but I don’t think it was ever confirmed.
Coolmore just told me Asia when I asked where he went.

[omare]

Cupid is a lovely looking horse but the Mid-Atlantic sale was dismal, including for the few Cupids that sold ( lovely looking babies.) I don’t know but it would seem to be a tough market to fill a book with a $8,000 stud fee in Maryland right now, unless they are making deals. Here is hoping racing in Maryland settles down and gets a firm charted course for the future and everyone can feel optimistic and spend money…on horses of course!

[JJ_sLuckyTrain]

I like Cupid but it seems odd to be exiled from KY and have your stud fee go up ($5K to $8K)

They will have to make some deals!

[snaffle1987]

I hope the best for the industry too but MD like VA and even parts of Kentucky now is under constant threat of soaring real estate prices and skyrocketing cost of raising animals. The days of estate breeders and small time breeders with a farm in the backyard are slowly disappearing. Land is more valuable for development and people are uwilling to preserve it.