Slinky_Malinky wrote: ↑Thu Jan 28, 2021 2:48 pm
Northport wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 4:44 pm
Well, yeah. That’s kind of my point. Why keep pouring buckets of money into stud and vet and agistment fees for an aging problem breeder with mediocre progeny results when she has two young, healthy, well-bred daughters who could take her place in a broodmare band?
Because a million dollars in stud fees is about .5% of Jerry Moss's net worth. Why do anything that costs money in horse racing? because people enjoy owning and breeding nice racehorses.
Well, again, yeah, that's my point. The Mosses want to breed successful racehorses to watch them run and win. All the money in the world is not going to help this aging problem breeder with a poor production record achieve their goals of breeding successful racehorses who run and win. They've tried. It didn't work. So why keep doing something that they know doesn't work, when there are two young, healthy daughters of this mare?
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Breeding success is a lightning strike of luck more often than anything else. Too often in racing we focus on the top 1% of mares that produce the G1 winners and multiple stakes winners.
Just because Zen hasn't produced anything of note yet, doesn't mean she won't. Maybe she needs a different stallion, maybe she just needs a bit of luck. It seems both her colts might have had some attitude problems (I might be recalling that wrong). And her sire and female line seem to be quite a female success dominated lot - maybe we'll see something different with the fillies? Zellda either has had a few niggling issues or is like her dam and a late maturer.
And whilst Zellda might be ready to join a broodmare band soon, I hope (fingers crossed) the Candy Ride filly can't for a few years. For me, the Candy Ride cross is the most exciting she's had. And while they wait for those girls, they might as well spend some petty cash and get Zen covered.
If the vet says her physiology is all still there and she's fit to be covered, there's no reason not to. I trust LE (and the Mosses) to listen to professionals about when to call it quits in her breeding career.
Besides, she's only had three (?) dodgy foalings? And the loss of the War Front foals was really bad luck. There are plenty of mares in the industry that have gone through a lot more. I've known mares with 4-5 consecutive cases of late term abortions/placentitis/dystocia, come good with foals in later stages of life, and IMO they haven't been the quality of mares it's worth it with. At least Zen has the record to make it worth a punt.
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