T&T's breeding season this year is in full flow at the moment. Many owners of mares would still be considering their mating plans in the hope of breeding the next Derby winner or top class racehorse.
The stallion options range from the exposed, the now emerging, the unknown and the brand new. Today we will have a look at the stallion options to see if some guidance could be provided.
In the exposed category, we place stallions which have had at least two racing crops grace the local track. The stallions which fall into this category are Safraction, Speechmaker, Da Vinci, Settle Up, Infallibility, Charismatic Cat, Strikes Not Spares, Cactus Amour, and Ten Meropa.
Of these stallions, Settle Up and Charismatic Cat, have proven that they can both produce quality horses given the right mares though the former’s offsprings have shown an affinity for the turf while the latter’s offsprings have tended to be better at shorter distances.
Da Vinci is a promising young sire whose early runners include the talented Streaking Far and so there is the reason for optimism that mating could produce a quality racehorse. Cactus Amour was a very stout stayer on the local track and winner of a Gold Cup, he will definitely impart some of his staying prowess to mares placed with him and as a stocky animal could also add some body to the offspring of lightly framed mares.
Safraction and Speechmaker’s offspring have not created any waves to date but that could be as much a reflection of the mares as the stallion’s themselves. Infallibility was a champion creole but there is definitely a breeding bias against locally bred stallions.
The now emerging category comprises stallions who have had one racing crop grace the local track. The stallions which fall into this category are Headline News, Vegas No Show, J’Ouvert and Signal Alert.
Of these four, Headline News is the most exciting so far. His first offspring, Making Headlines, appears to be a chip off the old block and is already one of the early favourites for this year's Trinidad Derby. The performance and potential of Making Headlines may yet see his sire breaking the previously mentioned bias against locally bred sires, though, in fact, Headline News was brought into this country in utero. As such, he is every much as foreign-bred as the other overseas bred stallions.
Signal Alert was a champion sprinter in this country having won the 2011 Stewards Cup while J’Ouvert was highly regarded when he came to this country but never fulfilled his massive potential due to injury. Their first runners on the track will be three-year-olds of 2019 so this year's breeders will not have a chance to really assess their offspring until too late for their decision.
Vegas No Show has had a number of early runners but none have set the world alight just yet. As a son of Hard Spun, his runners will definitely improve with time.
The unknown category comprises of horses known to the racing public but who have yet to have any of their offspring grace the track. The stallions which fall into this category are Nominee, Clermont County, The Gatsby, and Crime of Passion.
Of these four, Crime of Passion and Nominee stood head and shoulders above the others in terms of proven ability on the track. Crime of Passion is a two-time Stewards Cup winner, who was just denied his hattrick bid.
The nominee was a much better stayer than sprinter but his preference for the turf may limit the dirt potential of his offspring. Nominee’s sire, however, is a Breeders Cup Champion which will present some hope for his son’s offspring. Clermont County possibly had the talent to match the other two but never got his chance to really show what he could do because of injury.
The Gatsby was a champion juvenile and won one leg of the Triple Crown before injury took him out of the Classics. He never recovered his form when he returned to racing as a four-year-old but if he can pass on some of his precocity to his offspring, owners will have some fun.
The brand new category comprises of horses which are not known to the racing public and who have yet to have any of their offspring grace the track. The stallion which falls into this category is Saint Viguer. This one is a son of Smart Strike, the sire of champion Curlin and as a resident of the powerful Poon Tip, Stud Farm is certain to be given every opportunity to become a champion stallion in this country.
Taking all of the above into consideration, the three top stallion prospects for the neutral owner of a mare would appear to be Headline News, Da Vinci and Charismatic Cat. The latter brings a proven capability to the table, while the former two, bring high potential to the table given the track performances of their top runners, Making Headlines and Streaking Far respectively.
Of course, breeding aficionados also go back a few generations to determine ideal matches. Whatever approach is taken, racing is replete with champions who have defied breeding norms. You really never know your luck when you get into the breeding game. Good luck!