R.I.P. Hennessy and Woodman.

Wow, it's really been a couple tough months for the Coolmore folks. First, their star stallion Woodman died, now the top-notch Hennessy, too. They've both been major sire presences: Woodman got the likes of Bosra Sham and Hawk Wing, while Hennessy got stars like Johannesburg. R.I.P. to both stallions and my condolences to the folks at Coolmore/Ashford.

Hennessy:

Really, really, really, really old sons of long-gone champion sires

I'm baaaack! Anyway, there's been a bit o' news recently about sons of old sires like Northern Dancer and Raise a Native that have been pensioned and/or have passed away. R.I.P. I had no idea that RaN still had sons at stud! Raise a Man, the 30-year-old son of Raise a Native, just passed away after standing in New York, while Lucky North, a son of Northern Dancer, was also just pensioned. I think it's great that, after their long stud careers, these studs are getting their long-due rest. Vacation, anyone?

Here's Raise a Man at the top.

Seattle Dancer died

Seattle Dancer, the record-priced $13.1 million yearling, recently died. A Nijinsky half-brother to Seattle Slew, he was a moderate success at stud and on the track. His record price has since been eclipsed by The Green Monkey's $16 million, but his legacy will stand. However, TGM still has to live up to remote success on the track and in the breeding shed.

Awesome Again and Again and Again....

This horse just keeps going and going and going...he's like the Energizer Bunny of top stallions. His progeny just win race after race! Recently, he got grade II winner Ginger Punch.

The Thoroughbred Times Stallion Directory online lists some of his top winners: they include Round Pond, Toccet, Wilko, Ghostzapper....the list goes on and on. It's really quite remarkable the quality of the produce that he manages to eke out! He's got a lovely pedigree, too, being by Deputy Minister out of a Blushing Groom mare. His stud fee is now $125,000: honestly, compared to other stallions' fees, he gets a good horse for that money.

Deep Impact is going to have a deep impact with so many foals

Sweet Matchem! Bloodhorse.com reports that this Japanese superstar is thought to be a successor to Sunday Silence, so he's being bred to....wait for it....230 MARES! That's crazy! I just hope they hit the ground running: Sunday Silence was a hugely underrated sire and one of the greatest successes of recent years. He revolutionized the Japanese breeding industry and was an American superstar, as well. I just wish that America could get some of his stock going, as they could definitely use an outcross to all the Northern Dancer and Mr. Prospector lines over there. Hail to Reason is a very good, consistent sire line that produces quality horses: just look at Sunday's sire, Halo. He not only sired Sunday Silence, but 1983 Kentucky Derby winner Sunny's Halo. He has numerous sons at stud and I bet his line will continue for quite some time.

Here's Deep Impact up at the top. Handsome lad, no? ;)

Scat Daddy retired!

Another one! Here's the story:

Apparently, he's retired because, with his injury, he'd be out for 90 days, and that wouldn't allow him to be ready for competition at the end of the year! I don't understand why they couldn't just let him rest for the rest of the year and have him ready for next year: it doesn't make any sense. Simply because he won't be able to compete for a while, they automatically retire him to stud! He will be going to Ashford, alongside his sire, Johannesburg, and grandsire, Hennessy.

Invasor

Not again! ANOTHER top horse is being retired. Invasor is being retired to Shadwell Stud after an injury. While I always want what is best for the horse, and his trainer, owner, and handlers know the horse and the proper care for him more than I ever could, I still really wish he had stayed in competition. He was a fantastic racehorse and it's a shame to see him retire. I do think that he will make a good and popular stallion: I hope we get a lot of little Invasors running around here soon.

Skip Away

I decided to take a look at Skippy's pedigree.

His sire, Skip Trial, is from Looks Promising, also the ancestress of numerous graded winners, including grade I winner Tactical Cat. The next dam, Fluoresee, was from the broodmare Snow Flame, a daughter of the foundation mare Firetop. Firetop's descendants include Nijinsky II, the Minstrel, champion Doubledogdare, classic winner Lahan, etc.

Skippy's dam, Ingot Way, was from the mare Ingot, dam of grade III winner Ingot Ruler. Ingot's granddam, Queen Fleet, ancestress of graded stakes winner Crafty Friend. Queen Fleet was from the mare Boat, dam of major stakes winner Greek Ship. Boat was also the ancestress of two Queen's Plates winners and grade I winner Without Feathers. Her dam, Croatala, foaled horses from whom descend top stakes winner and sire Heliopolis and Alabama S. winner Up the Apalachee.