The Rachel/Curlin mating. . .thoughts?

[Mara]

Just a little fun musing here -

Do you think Curlin is the best choice for Rachel Alexandra? Why?
JJ is being a little bit daring in breeding a first-timer to a stallion who is a couple of years from having any progeny on the track. I almost think I’d have gone to Smart Strike for the first baby if that was the breeding I was after.

I’m sure he plans to keep the first foal to race himself, barring unforeseen occurrences.

If Rachel were your mare, and you had unlimited funds for a sire, who might you choose?

[keepthelegend]

Without doing any pedigree research…probably A.P. Indy while he is still alive.

[grayarabpony]

I’m curious about this too and hope more will respond.

[danceronice]

I don’t dislike the cross on paper. The only inbreeding is mostly far back (something like 3x5) and Curlin had distance while Rachel’s a front-runner, so in an ideal world that balances out.

[maxxtrot]

i also thought of A.P.Indy, his offspring are selling really well at the sales and look to be fast and are training really good.

[useventers]

I would go to AP Indy immediately before he’s pensioned. I can’t believe they’d waste that opportunity to go with Curlin.

and why go to Curlin, when you can go to Smart Strike (his sire).

More route:

Street Cry
Dynaformer

More speed (they might not go over a mile, but the baby would have some serious gas):

Elusive Quality
Candy Ride

He’s beneath her pedigree wise, but if she doesn’t produce I’d try Holy Bull. He had her kind of speed and talent, but more bone and size.

Big Brown is another one with speed, but more bone and size. He might be an interesting match.

[keepthelegend]

Just because Rachel had a lot of speed doesn’t mean she is lacking stamina. She won the Preakness at 1 3/16, the Haskell over the 3 yr old champ at 1 1/8 and ran a great race at 1 1/4. That’s about as much or more stamina as any filly on dirt needs.

[danceronice]

I wouldn’t breed a jenny I didn’t like to Big Brown. He has crap feet.

Rachel couldn’t beat colts at a 1 1/4 if she tried on any surface. I’d want more route blood rather than breed her to a speed demon (and have my fingers crossed for a colt to boot.)

[Mara]

How about Dynaformer?
I don’t know what kind of results have been had from Hail To Reason lines on top with N. Dancer on the bottom (through El Prado), so I’m just thinking off the top of my head here.

[danceronice]

Personally, if I could send her (or Zenyatta or any other mare I liked) to any stallion in the world, assuming he’s still breeding I’d pick Cape Cross, sire of Sea The Stars (or Sea the Stars himself, if I’m going to gamble on a younger stallion.) No RaN, only a little Northern Dancer crossing fairly far back (and with Cape Cross over Rachel that’s via Danzig and Sadler’s Wells, neither of which is a bad name to have.)

Heck, if I had it I’d pay a LOT of money for a foal out of Zenyatta by Cape Cross. Maybe not Green Monkey money, but a LOT.

[maxxtrot]

i just xrayed a big brown weanling today, not my type of horse. i still think A.P. Indy is the best choice.

[Linny]

Since this resulting foal is sure to be raced by Stonestreet and is not being produced for auction, the “page value” is meaningless.
I don’t think it’s a bad cross. RA herself is from the first crop of her sire, so who MDO’s dtr’s will show affinity for (if at all) is unknown. MDO was a G1 winner at 10f who showed high speed over a distance. Curlin, while not a front runner) had a decent turn of foot and could cruise at high speed when needed.
I would have to research RA’s female side to see what sires they have crossed well with, but I see know reason why not to send RA to Curlin.

[danceronice]

I think the point is it’s a hypothetical thread.

I see one big reason TO use Curlin–JJ owns him. Kind of a no-brainer. I don’t have a problem with it, it’s just not very exciting to speculate about a foregone conclusion.

[FatDinah]

Yeah, that RA/Curlin cross is pure PR and ego.

I am more interested, where will Queen Z go? I am sure the Mosses will also keep and run anything out of her so they don’t have to worry about cashing in on a yearling.

[spotted_draft_x_fill]

Zenyatta will retire to Mill Ridge Farm in Lexington, KY

[ivy62]

I would like to see some different blood… How about Invasor or Leroidesanimaux? Both had speed and could go distance. I know they are really untried at stud but why not…

[FatDinah]

Sorry, I meant which stallion Z will go to.

What have Invasor’s babies done? I LOVED that horse.

[ivy62]

Invasor’s babies have just hit the ground this year…Leroy has some awesome looking babies too…

[harvestmoon]

Actually I thought Invasor’s first crop are yearlings this year?

[mcp]

I just attended the 2010 Thoroughbred Pedigree and Genetics Symposium and learned about some of the latest research. Regardless of which stallion is chosen, some very advanced genetic analysis is now being made available to breeders to make better mating decisions.