According to Jane Smiley:
http://therail.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/30/zenyatta-shows-old-ways-still-work/
Thoughts?
It will be interesting to see when she is bred, how she produces and to whom she is bred.
I know zero about racing, but can someone comment on the power of a mare in breeding as opposed to a stallion. We put so much emphasis on the stallion, however we know that 65% is contributed by the mare.
Good Article!
Personally, I too am not a fan of Native Dancer, and I am glad to see that the influence of Native Dancer is limited to two lines in her grandsire Machiavellian.
The absence of Northern Dancer is another plus. When ND and Mr. P are together in a pedigree it double Native Dancer, and while those horses have speed, they can be fragile.
I loved Hoist the Flag, grand old lines, I saw his dam when I was riding for Mr. John Schiff, who bred Hoist the Flag.
Hail to Reason, who is also doubled in the pedigree had my favorite old lines, Teddy x Plucky Leige, which produced Sir Gallahad III, Bull Dog, and La Troienne. Bull Dog was the maternal sire of Tom Fool. So many wonderful sound and sane horses came from those old lines. Good jumpers too!
I so hope that at some point breeding race horses will return to “breeding to race” and not “breeding for the sales ring”. The “hot sales” lines, those “speed lines,” which lack the soundness that horses like Princequillo produced.(grandsire of Kris S, Zenyatta’s maternal sire) are ruining the TB.
This is just my opinion. [I remember Round Table by Princequllio running for years! 66 starts with 43 wins, and 13 other times in the money. He won nearly 2 Million dollars in the 1950’s, That was when soundness was bred into the TB. He was horse of the year at 4 in 1958. Princequillo was Secretariat’s maternal grandsire as well.]
Sorry to ramble. Go Zenyatta, Horse of the Year!
“rangy and big with good bone and enormous hooves.”
It should also be noted that this mare is built somewhat uphill.
I would take her to Rock Hard Ten if she were mine. It’s a fairly tight line breeding, just flipping the pedigree upside down…but I’d bet on it working. The two horses are a good match in phenotype as well. What a foal that would be :::::drool::::
I still think MDO would be a great choice for her…
On a side note, why has her dam not been bred back to Street Cry? She’s gone to a different stallion every year. Of all the breedings to repeat, you would think that would be one!
Caitlin
Mike Smith says no horse is worthy. But she was bred right for speed and soundness. Poor Mike, his heartbreak is hearbreaking…he only blamed himself while giving Blame his credit.
Probably because breeding is a bottom line business and many breeders do not take them to the track but sell them as yearlings to those that do. She did not bring a very good yearling price-and for more reasons then the skin condition that most can see through to the horse underneath. She was a very late bloomer training wise as well. Has been very carefully managed and, really, was about unknown on the national racing scene until 2 years ago or so.
When Z was conceived, going on 8 years ago now as she turns 7, Street Cry’s stud fee was less-probably alot less-then it is today. So it would cost alot more to get another potentially late blooming colt on the ground. With no guarantees.
And…anybody know the record of full siblings to superhorses??? Not so good.
Not that great a surprise.
Contrary to the opinion above, I think any breeder or racehorse owner would love to have another Zenyatta. Unfortunately it isn’t going to happen because Zenyatta’s dam is owned by Coolmore, and Street Cry (Zenyatta’s sire) is owned by Darley. Darley and Coolmore have engaged in a long running feud and they do not support each other’s stallions.
Thanks, that makes sense. 
I know that she was late maturing and siblings are never the same, but the horse would be worth a fortune. The dam is a very good producer…Z’s half sister Balance won over 1M on the track. It’s a shame there will probably not be another of the same breeding…makes you wish that they would get over their differences for one instance and see what happens.
Caitlin
Balance sold for an incredibly high price this year.
This year’s Breeder’s Cup was incredibly good for Kris S descendants.
Curlin’s full brother is going into training. I think someone will be MORE than happy to take a chance on him. :yes:
Old fashioned soundness breeding? Didnt Hoist the Flag break his leg?
[QUOTE=vineyridge;5208273]
Balance sold for an incredibly high price this year.
This year’s Breeder’s Cup was incredibly good for Kris S descendants.[/QUOTE]
Yes!
[QUOTE=MsM;5208430]
Old fashioned soundness breeding? Didnt Hoist the Flag break his leg?[/QUOTE]
Hoist the Flag shattered his hind fetlock in a training accident. It was repaired and he went on to sire some very nice horses including Alleged who won the Arc de Triomphe.
Hoist the Flag is also the grandsire, via Salutely, of a very good Eventing TB, Salute the Truth (JC name Good Boy Willy) http://www.dodonfarm.com/willy1.html
What a shame! I think a full sibling to Zenyatta would probably bring more than $60k now.
[QUOTE=MsM;5208430]
Old fashioned soundness breeding? Didnt Hoist the Flag break his leg?[/QUOTE]
Sounds like a pretty tough horse to me:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8925-2002Jun6.html
…but good point
Hoist the Flag was also the sire of Alleged, who has been a sire for chasing in the UK/Ire. I really, really like his breeding, and he’s one really nice source for stamina.
