Two significant developments happened today
A Somebeachsomewhere colt paced in 1.51.2f and a colt by Hussy Chaser won in 2.02h.
I predicted that SBSW would rewrite the record books this year and so far it looks like he will fulfill that promise. He has 72 of 128 foals qualified in his first crop and already has 12 in 1.55.. George Teague has a filly from Rainbow Blue that will pace in 1.46 next year, mark that on your calender.
On the home front the first foal I have ever bred , Scarlet Chaser, won an Atlantic Sires B Stake in 2.02h. I initially called him Harrier but that name was taken. His dam is a three quarter sister to Camluck and his sire is a horse I bought for $1,500 who went on to make over $520,000.
He probably wont match the accomplishments of the offspring of SBSW but you never know. So far so good.
Hi Norman, very interesting - can you elucidate for us the pedigree match scenario for Scarlet Chaser ?
ReplyDeleteI hear SBSW is coming to Australia this year so could be interesting times for the pacing breeders and those with the right mares and the deep pockets.
Cheers
John
I was very impressed when I saw the Beach's first crop of babies at Hanover Shoe Farms. They were built like brick sh%t houses, as the saying goes, with excellent conformation and a bright look about them. I said to Paul Spears at the time that they were going to set the tracks ablaze. I'm not at all surprised that they are doing so well. Deservedly, he got an excellent crop of broodmares as mates.
ReplyDeleteHussy Chaser was bred by Ewen Taylor, a friend of mine on PEI. The dam was by Cam Fella and Ewen was interested in breeding her to an Ontario sire. I recommended he breed to Paris Dexter instead. The foal was a bit of a runt alongside the other three yearlings with which he was raised and Ewen was seriously questioning the breeding decision. Noone bid on him at the yearling sale so I bought him for the $1,500 minimum bid.
ReplyDeleteThe key thing I saw in his pedigree was the doubling up maternally of both Tar Heel and Volomite, two individuals that are special in broodmares or at least were back in 1996 when the mare was bred. Both his sire Paris Dexter and his dam are inbred maternally to Tar Heel (Billy Direct)
When Hussy Chaser retired I got him back to PEI and started looking for a mare to breed. I wanted to take advantage of the strongest elements in his maternal lines which to me are Cam Fella and the Tar Heel crosses so my immediate search focused on Camluck mares since Camluck was by Cam Fella and also carried the Tar Heel/Volomite cross.
I went to Ontario to look at a couple of Camluck mares and in the process decided to go to Prince Lee Acres, the home of Cam Fella and breeder of Camluck. They did not have any Camluck mares available but Doug Simon, the manager, had one just as good, a three quarter sister to Camluck. Lucky Hare was not much as a racemare and was having problems producing to date but the price was right and she was the right type of mare. Hussy Chaser was small and fiery and his front end was far from perfect. Lucky Hare was a large mare, very correct and very well mannered. When I put the pedigree up on my computer the deal was sealed. Lucky Hare had the Tar Heel/Volomite combination as did her sire, Precious Bunny who was also by Cam Fella. In addition the maternal lines of Lucky Hare gave a maternal double in the foal to both Cam Fella and the Adios line.
A perfect Pedigree Match as well as a physical compromise. Scarlet Chaser is already bigger than his sire, his front end is far from perfect but his manners are just fine. Two out of three conformation issues solved and he has such a great gait that the front end problems are unlikely to slow him down. Now we will find out if he has inherited his daddy's guts. It all comes down to the heart.
Hi Norman,
ReplyDeleteits really great news about Scarlet. I think it's such a great feeling when you take a chance and it all works out. There are so many variables outside of pedigree that I think breeders deserve a medal at least some of the time for having the courage to take that chance, while others sit back and wait for someone else to do it. Again, congratulations, you must be a proud dad
Hope Sombeachsomewhere isnt too dominating, most of us dont have that sort of money or those sorts of mares. We still have to compete against them though
Scarlet Chaser was out for an educational trip against aged horses tonight in NW2 and just missed by a length in 1.58.1. He has shown us that he is one of the best two year olds in the Maritimes so we will give him a week in the paddock then get ready for Old Home Week. He has the Atlantic Sires on Aug 16 and the Joe Obrien Gold a week later. Looks like he will be ready for the big boys by then.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to get your fill of exciting harness racing then Old Home Week in Charlottetown is the place to be. 16 race programs over 10 days culminating in the Gold Cup And Saucer of August 18th. Dean Hoffman called it one of the three top racing spectacles in harness racing. You have to see it to believe it.
it will be good to follow his racing career. And if I every get to North America I'll add Charlottetown and the OHW to the Little Brown Jug as the events I would most like to see
ReplyDeleteScarlet Chaser goes against older horses in a NW3 tomorrow evening at Summerside. It is a prep for the big race next week and while a win would be nice we are hoping he gets a good learning experience. If you want to watch him he is in the sixth race. Here is the video link
ReplyDeletehttp://www.redshores.ca/livevideostream.php
How about that SBSW colt Captaintreacherous winning the Holmes in 1.49.3 track record. Dam is inbred to Meadow Skipper through Albatross. Magic ingredient for a sire that is a double Meadow Skipper maternally.
Hi Norman, I see you got a second with Scarlet. Good effort! Didnt see the race, have had a very misbehaving laptop which I hope will fix itself in time, so am operating on a limited system at the moment.
ReplyDeleteSBSW should have a very good first season, as you would expect. We have access to him in australia if you have enough money for the stud fee, which is actually a reasonable fee but just a little too high for me.
Scarlet Chaser has drawn the rail for his first test against the "A" colts in the Atlantic Sires. I think he is ready, we shall see on Wednesday evening. He is in the second race going about 7:20 Atlantic Time
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to some photos of our track grandstand - as nice a little track as there is anywhere.
http://www.redshores.ca/photogalleries.php
Hi Norman,
ReplyDeleteI have bookmarked the replay page so I'll be able to have a look. Couldnt work out what time it would be my time so I'll just watch the replay. Good luck
The track looks quite a bit like our Gloucester Park, just newer and bigger. We overlook the river too, but we will be redeveloping soon so it probably wont have such a nice outlook
just watched the replay Norman and you should be pretty happy with his run. Good luck for the 22nd
ReplyDeleteYikes!! Scarlet Chaser beat the track record for two your old colts in Summerside and finished fourth. This is getting tougher. Just a length out of second though after cutting the half in 58.2, raced timed in 1.58. I think we will let someone else do the roadwork next race and race him from off the pace the way his daddy did. The other division went in 1.59.3. Thats racing luck for you.
ReplyDeleteFinally. Scarlet Chaser won a Sires Stakes in Northside Downs. Track record for two year old colts on a track listed sloppy and two seconds off. His next start will be in the Atlantic Breeders Crown. He has four more races and total purses close to $60,000 to race for over the next five weeks. Nice to have him fresh and ready to roll.
ReplyDeleteThats great Norman, wish you luck over the next few weeks, let me know when the races are and I'll take a look. Its such a long journey from breeding to successful racing. I think the breeding is just the start, the planning that goes into the racing is hugely underrated.
ReplyDeleteI've got two 2yos that are about to start their second prep so they are about 5 months off racing. Its a long time with everything going right. One is a full brother to our Derby winner and the other is a full brother to one that is yet to fulfill his promise but we are hoping that will happen this racing year.