New Conformation Photos

Admin · Fri Dec 05, 2014 4:48 pm

Izvestia wrote:Rags is the best looking horse in Kentucky. Arguably.

Really? He doesn't do it for me, at least not based on the photo(s). I've not seen him in person so maybe I'd change my mind.

Kay16 · Fri Dec 05, 2014 5:37 pm

Admin wrote:
Izvestia wrote:Rags is the best looking horse in Kentucky. Arguably.
Really? He doesn't do it for me, at least not based on the photo(s). I've not seen him in person so maybe I'd change my mind.

Me either. Especially the one just posted.

I'll agree with Will Take Charge being incredibly handsome.

Flanders · Fri Dec 05, 2014 6:24 pm

I've seen some stunning photos of Union Rags, so its probably that photo that isn't as flattering or that he is going into winter. He does look like he gained some weight but I don't think its so drastic from his conformation photo that he should be considered fat. Plus part of the "weight" may just be his fuzzy winter coat.

Izvestia · Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:13 pm

mariasmon wrote:I feel like Will Take Charge must have/have had some kind of issue(s), as he was a $425k yearling. That is still a lot of money, but considering his pedigree, I think there was something going on with him that lowered his price or he'd have been a 7-figure horse. It may not have been anything to do with his conformation, but maybe an issue with scope or x-rays? I don't know.

Probably didn't x-ray well. He ran a lot, and lasted longer than a lot of the other top horses in his age group, so whatever was wrong with him, he turned out ok.

Diver52 · Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:19 pm

Back to Union Rags--anyone notice the Twitter comments, one idiot saying first that she would breed a mare to Union Rags but not race the foal, and then adding that she would also breed to Paynter. . .but not race the foal. (Tears Hair emoticon here.)

Admin · Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:31 pm

Izvestia wrote:
mariasmon wrote:I feel like Will Take Charge must have/have had some kind of issue(s), as he was a $425k yearling. That is still a lot of money, but considering his pedigree, I think there was something going on with him that lowered his price or he'd have been a 7-figure horse. It may not have been anything to do with his conformation, but maybe an issue with scope or x-rays? I don't know.
Probably didn't x-ray well. He ran a lot, and lasted longer than a lot of the other top horses in his age group, so whatever was wrong with him, he turned out ok.

I suspect something a bit different. $425k is a pretty good price for a horse with bad x-rays. Of course, it's possible not everyone agreed on the x-rays, but I rather suspect that he may've not looked his best as a yearling, that maturity helped make him the physical specimen everyone raves about. Maybe he just didn't make as many short lists as he otherwise would've based on his looks today?

BlindLucky · Fri Dec 05, 2014 7:53 pm

Admin wrote:
Izvestia wrote:
mariasmon wrote:I feel like Will Take Charge must have/have had some kind of issue(s), as he was a $425k yearling. That is still a lot of money, but considering his pedigree, I think there was something going on with him that lowered his price or he'd have been a 7-figure horse. It may not have been anything to do with his conformation, but maybe an issue with scope or x-rays? I don't know.
Probably didn't x-ray well. He ran a lot, and lasted longer than a lot of the other top horses in his age group, so whatever was wrong with him, he turned out ok.
I suspect something a bit different. $425k is a pretty good price for a horse with bad x-rays. Of course, it's possible not everyone agreed on the x-rays, but I rather suspect that he may've not looked his best as a yearling, that maturity helped make him the physical specimen everyone raves about. Maybe he just didn't make as many short lists as he otherwise would've based on his looks today?

He was a pretty good looking yearling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPTVMypx2SQ

mariasmon · Fri Dec 05, 2014 8:09 pm

BlindLucky wrote:
Admin wrote:
Izvestia wrote: Probably didn't x-ray well. He ran a lot, and lasted longer than a lot of the other top horses in his age group, so whatever was wrong with him, he turned out ok.
I suspect something a bit different. $425k is a pretty good price for a horse with bad x-rays. Of course, it's possible not everyone agreed on the x-rays, but I rather suspect that he may've not looked his best as a yearling, that maturity helped make him the physical specimen everyone raves about. Maybe he just didn't make as many short lists as he otherwise would've based on his looks today?
He was a pretty good looking yearling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPTVMypx2SQ

I saw him in person as a yearling. He didn't blow me away, but there didn't seem to be anything glaringly wrong. Admin's assessment may be spot-on. Of course, my pick out of that sale was a Bernardini colt called Snifter, who was most recently seen running in a $7500 claimer at Finger Lakes

Della · Fri Dec 05, 2014 8:45 pm

Union Rags reminds me a bit of Fusaichi Pegasus.

DanLewis · Fri Dec 05, 2014 11:30 pm

I think the discussion to Will Take Charge's yearling price is going the wrong direction. I don't believe it was any issue with x-rays or scoping. I think we have to look at his dam at the time he sold.. When he was a yearling his dam had 4 foals ahead of him and of them only 2 winners and Take Charge Indy had just won his maiden race at 2 on August 30th or 31st don't remember so he wasn't anything to scream about yet he did go on to place in the Arlington-Washington Futurity but again that was after the yearling sale.. So you were looking at a handsome son of Unbridled Song out of a great mare who so far had been very disappointing as a broodmare.. Of course now look at her page and she has a daughter who is a G1 Producer, and Will Take Charge and Take Charge Indy so she made up for it. Just my thoughts on his sales price.. By the way he LOOKS incredible in the few pics I've seen of him.

Daniel

Admin · Sat Dec 06, 2014 12:46 am

DanLewis wrote:I think the discussion to Will Take Charge's yearling price is going the wrong direction. I don't believe it was any issue with x-rays or scoping. I think we have to look at his dam at the time he sold.. When he was a yearling his dam had 4 foals ahead of him and of them only 2 winners and Take Charge Indy had just won his maiden race at 2 on August 30th or 31st don't remember so he wasn't anything to scream about yet he did go on to place in the Arlington-Washington Futurity but again that was after the yearling sale.. So you were looking at a handsome son of Unbridled Song out of a great mare who so far had been very disappointing as a broodmare.. Of course now look at her page and she has a daughter who is a G1 Producer, and Will Take Charge and Take Charge Indy so she made up for it. Just my thoughts on his sales price.. By the way he LOOKS incredible in the few pics I've seen of him.

Daniel

Good point, and one that I thought of when I watched the video linked above. I was going to have to look up the dam, though, and you've provided that info.

The reason for my theory was knowing a couple agents who didn't have him on their short lists as a yearling but seemed to regret it when they saw him the week of the Derby.

Izvestia · Sat Dec 06, 2014 9:17 am

Of course he looked good as a yearling. Big shiny chestnut with bling. There is nothing "glaringly" wrong with him in that video, but what can you people really know from that video anyway?
I said "probably didn't x-ray well" because I was only speculating. I forgot that she hadn't produced much before then.

Insane Crazy · Sat Dec 06, 2014 2:41 pm

Kay16 wrote:
Admin wrote:
Izvestia wrote:Rags is the best looking horse in Kentucky. Arguably.
Really? He doesn't do it for me, at least not based on the photo(s). I've not seen him in person so maybe I'd change my mind.

Me either. Especially the one just posted.

Are you guys just referring to that photo, or all photos? He's definitely fuzzy and not looking his best in the pic posted, but his official confo shot is exquisite (IMO).

The Doctors Saint · Sat Dec 06, 2014 5:08 pm

]

Probably didn't x-ray well. He ran a lot, and lasted longer than a lot of the other top horses in his age group, so whatever was wrong with him, he turned out ok.[/quote]

I suspect something a bit different. $425k is a pretty good price for a horse with bad x-rays. Of course, it's possible not everyone agreed on the x-rays, but I rather suspect that he may've not looked his best as a yearling, that maturity helped make him the physical specimen everyone raves about. Maybe he just didn't make as many short lists as he otherwise would've based on his looks today?[/quote]
He was a pretty good looking yearling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPTVMypx2SQ[/quote]
I've seen lots of 'Prophet's Thumbprint' and such but in the video he has three deep dents right around his point of shoulder on the right and I think at least one around the left that really stand out to me.

Kay16 · Sat Dec 06, 2014 7:55 pm

Insane Crazy wrote: Are you guys just referring to that photo, or all photos? He's definitely fuzzy and not looking his best in the pic posted, but his official confo shot is exquisite (IMO).

Any photo I've seen. I'm not saying he's not a good looking horse, he just doesn't make me go "wow".

MTO · Sun Dec 07, 2014 9:19 am

Keep in mind, Will Take Charge sold in 2011 when horse sales prices where very low due to the economic downturn.

Flanders · Sun Dec 07, 2014 3:17 pm

A few interesting facts, over the last 5 editions of the Keeneland September Sale, only 15 (8 colts) of 307 (152 colt) Unbridled's Song foals offered sold for more than Will Take Charge did.
Chestnut Unbridled's Songs foals: 4 out of 79 sold for more than him (I included all Keeneland sales from 2002 to 2014)

mariasmon · Sun Dec 07, 2014 3:25 pm

Out of the same sale, Go Nineteen (Street Cry x Balance) brought $750k with a bad scope. Just saying.

Admin · Sun Dec 07, 2014 8:16 pm

Insane Crazy wrote: Are you guys just referring to that photo, or all photos? He's definitely fuzzy and not looking his best in the pic posted, but his official confo shot is exquisite (IMO).

I didn't mean to imply that he's not a good-looking horse, as he is. I think I was just taken aback (for lack of a better term) at the thought of him being the best-looking stallion in KY. But thinking about it, I'm not sure who I would think deserves that title. As for UR, for me, his short back sticks out like a sore thumb every time I see a photo of him, which may only be a matter of preference.

Insane Crazy · Sun Dec 07, 2014 11:10 pm

Admin wrote:
Insane Crazy wrote: Are you guys just referring to that photo, or all photos? He's definitely fuzzy and not looking his best in the pic posted, but his official confo shot is exquisite (IMO).

I didn't mean to imply that he's not a good-looking horse, as he is. I think I was just taken aback (for lack of a better term) at the thought of him being the best-looking stallion in KY. But thinking about it, I'm not sure who I would think deserves that title. As for UR, for me, his short back sticks out like a sore thumb every time I see a photo of him, which may only be a matter of preference.

Ahh, yes, I agree that 'best looking stallion in KY' is a pretty subjective title. I don't know if I could definitely rank him #1 without a lot of thought (like you, I'm not sure who else I'd put in the race), but he's way up there.

His slightly shorter back doesn't bother me, but that could be the fact that I come from a H/J background. Could be different for someone focused entirely on racing!