War Emblem to Old Friends

[BlindLucky]

Since we just brought him up in a few threads, thought this was well-timed:

http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-ra ... t7DaysNews

THE strange and unfulfilled stud career of Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner War Emblem, who was sold to the Yoshida family's Shadai Stallion Station in Japan for a reported $17.7 million in 2002 only to prove disdainful of mares, apparently has come to a close.

Plans are in the works to ship the now 16-year-old stallion from the island of Hokkaido back to the US, where he will be pensioned at Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky.

[BlindLucky]

I guess there's already a thread in Racing about this, so I'll just leave this here since that one will probably get buried quick

[tachyon]

I guess there's already a thread in Racing about this, so I'll just leave this here since that one will probably get buried quick

I think that War Emblem left a major mark on the Japanese breeding even if he didn't fulfill his potential.
All the racing fans here loved him.



Sayonara, ウォーエンブレム!!!

[bare it all]

Did they give up any hopes of breeding him or did he just finally flat out refuse?

[Insane Crazy]

Did they give up any hopes of breeding him or did he just finally flat out refuse?

I seem to recall that he was steadily covering fewer and fewer mares a year. I seem to remember he had a strong 20 one year, but then it dwindled to a couple and then nothing.

[BaroqueAgain1]

From the RacingPost article:
War Emblem sired only four foals from his first crop in 2004, followed by 33 in 2005, five in 2006, none in 2007 or 2008, 17 Japanese-breds and two Australian-breds in 2009. He sired a career-high of 43 foals in 2010, four in 2011, and 13 in 2012, according to the Japanese Stud Book.

Of those 121 total reported foals for his career, War Emblem has had 110 starters and 77 winners, as reported by the Japan Bloodstock Information System (JBIS). His two best runners have been fillies: Japan's 2012 champion juvenile filly and Group 1 winner Robe Tissage, who is out of the Singspiel mare Petit Noire and is still racing this year, and Black Emblem, produced by the Hector Protector mare Vin De Noir and winner of the 2008 Shuka Sho, the third leg of Japan's Triple Crown for fillies.

From his first crop, War Emblem showed he could pass on racing talent to offspring. The four foals he sired in that crop all won stakes races at some level, a result that helped inspire Shadai to continue to do everything possible to salvage the stallion's stud career.
Read more: http://bloodstock.racingpost.com/news/b ... 19770/top/

So, he was a very good stallion, in terms of producing quality runners. It's just too bad that, in the long run, none of the tactics the farm tried with him worked.

[Macaroni]

This Paulick Report article from 2013 says something different. Weird...

"These days, War Emblem is stabled amongst mares, a tactic that originally seemed to pique his interest as he sired 44 foals in 2010 before dropping off to 13 in 2011 and none in 2012."

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/blood ... too-smart/

[Insane Crazy]

He already has a stakes winning grandkiddo via Black Emblem. Since he was such a successful sire based on even rotten stats, it'll be interesting to see where his lines go.

[lurkey mclurker]

War Emblem's progeny statistics page on the JBIS: http://www.jbis.jp/horse/0000731452/sire/generation/

[Vandalay]

wonder if his temperament has mellowed...

[Flanders]

This Paulick Report article from 2013 says something different. Weird...

"These days, War Emblem is stabled amongst mares, a tactic that originally seemed to pique his interest as he sired 44 foals in 2010 before dropping off to 13 in 2011 and none in 2012."

http://www.paulickreport.com/news/blood ... too-smart/

Some stallions get intimidated by other stallions. They were literally trying anything they could to get him to breed mares. Its an interesting idea, its too bad it didn't work out better for Shadai. He obviously could produce nice horses, he just didn't want to.

[tachyon]

''Peetaro'', who visited War Emblem this winter, posted another picks of War Emblem in his/her blog.

[tachyon]

Here's the most recent pick of War Emblem.


at Shadai, Sep 14th 2015

[Insane Crazy]

Slightly grumpy pony. Those are my favorites.

He looks in very good flesh and I love how his mane is bordering on overgrown. What a cutie. It's clear he has received great care at Shadai. It's hard to believe he's 16 -- not terribly old in horse years, but still.

[tachyon]

Slightly grumpy pony. Those are my favorites.

He looks in very good flesh and I love how his mane is bordering on overgrown. What a cutie. It's clear he has received great care at Shadai. It's hard to believe he's 16 -- not terribly old in horse years, but still.

Yusuke Tsutsui, who took care of War Emblem at Shadai, said, ''I've never seen any horse as bright as War Emblem.''

[tachyon]

War Emblem is now in quarantine.
He is slated to leave from Narita Airport on Oct 8th and arrive in the states on Oct 9th.

source: uma-furusato.com, an official source for breeding in Japan.

http://uma-furusato.com/news/detail/_id_82514

[shortlead]

Lookin' good! Thanks to all who cared for him and cared about him. Hope his limited crops and their progeny make him proud.

[tachyon]

Lookin' good! Thanks to all who cared for him and cared about him. Hope his limited crops and their progeny make him proud.

I hope so, too.

That was a long journey, anyway.
War Emblem has returned to the US after 13 years.

War Emblem at Chicago.

[Diver52]

Welcome home, War Emblem.

[serenassong]

Lookin' good! Thanks to all who cared for him and cared about him. Hope his limited crops and their progeny make him proud.

Indeed, and for the limited crops that he has had- he has done very well. Welcome home!