The participants to the Triple Crown are far less tried than in past decades. I don't consider seven starts telling of a two year old. When Secretariat won the Triple Crown as a three year old he continued to race and his career as a sire was less important so much as winning races.
There was a time when the "Sport of Kings" was sincerely a sport and not a fashion show. I mean how does an untried three year old actually have statistics that amount to a real choice for the winner? Today, the GUESS WORK is primarily based in pedigree and less about the actual horse.
The reason stables raced their thoroughbreds rather than retiring them to the breeding barn is because they don't always turn out to be great sires. If a stallion cannot pass on his remarkable confirmation and will, then why breed to them?
Maybe breeders today haven't figured that out yet.
There was a time when the "Sport of Kings" was sincerely a sport and not a fashion show. I mean how does an untried three year old actually have statistics that amount to a real choice for the winner? Today, the GUESS WORK is primarily based in pedigree and less about the actual horse.
The reason stables raced their thoroughbreds rather than retiring them to the breeding barn is because they don't always turn out to be great sires. If a stallion cannot pass on his remarkable confirmation and will, then why breed to them?
Maybe breeders today haven't figured that out yet.
May 6, 2016
By Joe Drape
So why do horse aficionados believe Nyquist is immensely beatable Saturday, in the 142nd running of the Derby? The racetrack is a place where irrational logic rules. And there are several reasons that this colt is deemed vulnerable despite accomplishments better than last year’s Triple Crown champion, American Pharoah, and rivaling those of the 1977 Triple Crown champ, Seattle Slew.
Atop them is a recent statistical anomaly: Can the morning-line favorite really win the Kentucky Derby for a fourth year in a row?
Probably not....
Secretariat's gene pool proved to be more potent in females. It's interesting.
Secretariat sired several major stakes winners including 1986 Horse Of The Year Lady's Secret, 1988 Preakness and Belmont winner Risen Star, and the 1990 Melborne Cup winner Kingston Rule, who still holds the race record.
He also sired General Assembly who won the 1979 Travers Stakes at Saratoga while setting a still standing race record of 2:00 flat. Andy Beyer said that General Assembly's speed figure in that race was one of the fastest in history. Like his sire, in the Belmont, General Assembly never duplicated that performance in another race.
Secretariat has received some criticism as a stallion due in part to his perceived inability to produce offspring of his calibur. His expensive syndication deal, perhaps, raised unrealistic expectations. He sired as many as 699 foals during his retirement. His blood flows through many notable racehorses including 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, Smarty Jones. He was also a noted broodmare sire being the broodmare sire of 1992 HOY and successful sire A. P Indy. Secretartat's grandson through his daughter Weekend Surprise, who was sired by another Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew. A.P. Indy is the sire of the 2007 Belmont Stakes winner Rags To Riches, the first filly to win the race at Belmont since 1905. Secretariat is also the dam-sire of Storm Cat through hihs daughter Terlingua, and excellent race mare, and of Gone West, through his daughter Secrettame.
Secretariat was euthanized on October 4, 1989 because of complications of Laminitis. He is buried at Claiborne Farm.
Secretariat's progeny is somewhat the same as his sire, Bold Ruler. Bold Ruler was not a great sire, but, when his genes came through it made a mark in thoroughbred history forever.
The fact Secretariat's fillies were far more exciting then their brothers could be due to the strong genes in his dam. Something Royal had Princequillo as a sire. That was basically unheard of in the Secretariat class of three year olds. Princequillo bloodlines produced great thoroughbreds and did so consistently.
I don't exactly know how genetics works in thoroughbreds, especially in current years. But, when a gene becomes a negative in human health and consistently passes from father to daughter or from mother to son, it is called a 'sex linked gene.' I suppose the same might be true with thoroughbreds, but, as an enhancement.
Realizing that potential might exist in thoroughbreds, it was Something Royal that was the determining factor in producing Big Red.
Probably not....
Secretariat's gene pool proved to be more potent in females. It's interesting.
Secretariat sired several major stakes winners including 1986 Horse Of The Year Lady's Secret, 1988 Preakness and Belmont winner Risen Star, and the 1990 Melborne Cup winner Kingston Rule, who still holds the race record.
He also sired General Assembly who won the 1979 Travers Stakes at Saratoga while setting a still standing race record of 2:00 flat. Andy Beyer said that General Assembly's speed figure in that race was one of the fastest in history. Like his sire, in the Belmont, General Assembly never duplicated that performance in another race.
Secretariat has received some criticism as a stallion due in part to his perceived inability to produce offspring of his calibur. His expensive syndication deal, perhaps, raised unrealistic expectations. He sired as many as 699 foals during his retirement. His blood flows through many notable racehorses including 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, Smarty Jones. He was also a noted broodmare sire being the broodmare sire of 1992 HOY and successful sire A. P Indy. Secretartat's grandson through his daughter Weekend Surprise, who was sired by another Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew. A.P. Indy is the sire of the 2007 Belmont Stakes winner Rags To Riches, the first filly to win the race at Belmont since 1905. Secretariat is also the dam-sire of Storm Cat through hihs daughter Terlingua, and excellent race mare, and of Gone West, through his daughter Secrettame.
Secretariat was euthanized on October 4, 1989 because of complications of Laminitis. He is buried at Claiborne Farm.
Secretariat's progeny is somewhat the same as his sire, Bold Ruler. Bold Ruler was not a great sire, but, when his genes came through it made a mark in thoroughbred history forever.
The fact Secretariat's fillies were far more exciting then their brothers could be due to the strong genes in his dam. Something Royal had Princequillo as a sire. That was basically unheard of in the Secretariat class of three year olds. Princequillo bloodlines produced great thoroughbreds and did so consistently.
I don't exactly know how genetics works in thoroughbreds, especially in current years. But, when a gene becomes a negative in human health and consistently passes from father to daughter or from mother to son, it is called a 'sex linked gene.' I suppose the same might be true with thoroughbreds, but, as an enhancement.
Realizing that potential might exist in thoroughbreds, it was Something Royal that was the determining factor in producing Big Red.
