A new client contacted us recently looking for mating recommendations for his pair of mares, including a stakes-winning Yonaguska mare named Minnesota Mafia, who was actually owned by a Country Life partnership during our time there. Minnesota Mafia’s new owner specified that he planned to race her foals himself, and – as it does whenever… [Read More]
Mating Plans for 2018 – Akasha
For Akasha’s 2018 mate, we are going in a different direction than we did for her first two matings, when we targeted the Danzig sire line and bred her to War Front’s sons Data Link in 2016 and Hit It A Bomb in 2017. Instead of a fast, precocious, turf-oriented stallion whose offspring have yet… [Read More]
2018 Mating Plans – Tuxedo Annie (revised)
We had originally planned to send Tuxedo Annie to the new Maryland stallion Blofeld in 2018, because his pedigree contains two crosses of the Phipps/Wheatley foundation mare, Grey Flight, who is also Tuxedo Annie’s fourth dam. But due to some unforeseen circumstances, we had to call a last-minute audible, and Tuxedo Annie has instead been… [Read More]
Our 2018 Value Sires
Several of the major racing publications, both in the States and Europe, have recently put out their versions of a “Value Sires List,” which we always read with fascination – and excitement, when those experts validate our own choices or the recommendations that we’ve made to our clients. Usually the authors of these articles take… [Read More]
2018 Housatonic Recommended Matings – Perfect Gleam
Perfect Gleam’s second dam, Anne Campbell, produced a pair of Grade 1-winning sons who both finished 2nd in the G1 Kentucky Derby, and she was a Broodmare of the Year. More importantly for our purposes, though, she has also founded a high-class family in Europe (and more specifically, at Ballydoyle/Coolmore) via her daughter Mr. P’s… [Read More]
Mating Plans for 2018 – Littlemissperfect
The crux of our mating ideology is, generally, to try and duplicate what has already worked for other members of a mare’s female family. In the case of Littlemissperfect, we hope to replicate the success of her dam’s full-sister, Procession, who produced Proceed Bee, a Grade 3 winner of 20 races, when bred to the… [Read More]
2018 Housatonic Recommended Matings – Not Me But U
With breeding season just about upon us, Housatonic Bloodstock LLC is here to help you plan your 2018 matings. Below are excerpts from a project that we completed back in 2017 for a group of clients, who provided a list of stallions that they were considering as mates for their mare last spring, and asked… [Read More]
2018 Housatonic Recommended Matings – Serena’s Joy
As a daughter of the Storm Cat stallion Forestry out of a full-sister to Serena’s Song, we recommended that our clients would be best served to consider Mr. Prospector-line stallions for Serena’s Joy in 2018. With Pioneerof the Nile being one of the hottest conduits of the Fappiano branch of that line out there these… [Read More]
2018 Housatonic Recommended Matings – Notassharpasuthink
We have have previously discussed how and why we believe that Fed Biz is poised to become an important sire, and are therefor excited to have been able to recommend him to a client as a mate for our recent auction purchase, Notassharpasuthink. Notassharpasuthink is a daughter of Sharp Humor out of a Silver Hawk… [Read More]
2018 Housatonic Recommended Matings – Kosmo’s Buddy
We have recommended that the multiple stakes-winning Outflanker mare Kosmo’s Buddy visit the high-class Grade 1 winner and sire First Samurai, by Storm Cat’s son Giant’s Causeway, in 2018. Kosmo’s Buddy won or placed in 14 stakes races from 2- through 5-years-old, winning on both turf and dirt, and her progeny so far include the… [Read More]
2018 Housatonic Recommended Matings – Gosling
With Gosling being from an excellent European family of accomplished turf horses cultivated by Juddmonte Farm, we recommended that she be bred in 2018 to the most promising young American turf stallion to come along in some time: Dynaformer’s five-time Grade 1-winning son, Point of Entry. Gosling’s first dam is the unbeaten, Group 3-winning Dansili… [Read More]
Mating Plans for 2018 – Rough Water
In her nine previous matings, Rough Water has visited More Than Ready or his sons four times, Mr. Prospector-line sires three times, and Awesome Again’s son Paynter twice. This year, for her tenth foal, we are going to take an entirely new direction with her and will send Rough Water to Cupid, the exciting first-year… [Read More]
Housatonic Bloodstock Mating Recommendations – Sample
As breeding season fast approaches, Housatonic Bloodstock LLC is here to help you plan your 2018 matings. Below is an excerpt from an analysis that we completed back in August of this year for a client who was seeking mating recommendations for his young Uncle Mo mare, Mo Light. The client is looking to breed… [Read More]
Mating Plans for 2018 – I’m Engaged
Last year, we laid out all of the reasons that we were looking forward to breeding I’m Engaged to the exciting first-year stallion, Lord Nelson. Unfortunately, Lord Nelson developed health issues which meant that he missed the 2017 breeding season, so we did not get that chance. But Lord Nelson has now recovered sufficiently to… [Read More]
Mating Plans for 2018 – Tuxedo Annie
For Tuxedo Annie’s 2018 mate, we are looking at a variation on the theme of line-breeding to high class Phipps family mares. This time, we are targeting Tuxedo Annie’s fourth dam, the foundation mare Grey Flight, who also appears twice in the pedigree of her 2018 mate, Blofeld. Last year, in her match with Golden… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – Autumn Update
Previously in this space, we have discussed the journey we are taking with one of our first homebreds, the now-2-year-old gelding Nautical Nature. A son of The Factor out of the first mare that we ever purchased, Atlantic Rainbow, we attempted to sell the then-colt at last year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale. But his lack… [Read More]
Housatonic Bloodstock services at Keeneland November
With Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale fast approaching, Housatonic Bloodstock is ready to help you find the right horse for your program, whether you’re looking for a mare to foal next spring, a broodmare prospect to breed in 2018, or a weanling to pinhook. Our prior purchases include: Hula Skirt (in-foal to Twirling Candy) – a… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – “Strong Biz” Expected at the Yearling Sales
It’s never too early to start thinking ahead to next year’s mating plans, and as we get ready to head to Keeneland next week for the start of their marathon September Sale, we’re looking forward to checking out some of the first yearlings by a pair of exciting young stallions who are on our early… [Read More]
Housatonic Bloodstock Services at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic
The catalog for Fasig-Tipton’s Midlantic Yearling Sale, which will be held October 2nd and 3rd in Timonium, Maryland, has been posted online at www.fasigtipton.com. The sale catalog features 495 yearlings, many of them locally-bred horses by both national and regional sires. We at Housatonic Bloodstock would be happy to help you identify your next (or… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – Mid-Year Recap
As the 2017 foaling and breeding season wraps up, we can’t help but begin looking forward to the spring of 2018. After welcoming five Housatonic-bred foals this year, we will be looking forward to five more next year: Akasha is due February 16th with a foal from the first crop of Grade 1-winning juvenile Hit… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – 2017 Matings (Winning Bet – take 2)
Winning Bet is now being bred in 2017 to Munnings (Speightstown x La Comete, by Holy Bull; $25,000 LFSN at Ashford) As excited as we were to breed to Vancouver after we saw him at Ashford earlier this year, we have made a last-minute call to switch Winning Bet to Munnings this spring instead. From the first… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – 2017 Derby Pick
Our pick for the 2017 Kentucky Derby likely will not come as a shock to many of you given that Winning Bet just delivered a colt by Bodemeister on Wednesday, but, just to make it official, we are going with the Bodemeister colt, Always Dreaming. Despite having been burned by a lightly-raced Todd Pletcher trainee… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – Freshman Sires of 2017
Trying to predict the leading freshman stallions each year often seems little more than a crapshoot. For instance, who could have foreseen last year that Dialed In would eek out the title over the more fancied Union Rags and Bodemeister? Or that Henrythenavigator would lead the list in 2012 despite his exclusively non-dirt race record? … [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – 2017 Matings (Curlin’s Needle – take 2)
Curlin’s Needle is now being bred in 2017 to Jump Start (A.P. Indy x Steady Cat, by Storm Cat; $10,000 LFSN at Northview PA) After finding out that Curlin’s Needle is, in fact, pregnant to Discreet Cat off of a June cover from last spring, we have changed our plans with her and will no longer be… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – We Didn’t Plan the Matings…
When we bought Rough Water and Winning Bet at auction in January, they certainly had plenty of appeal in and of themselves, physically and on the basis of their respective produce records and female families. But another very attractive aspect was the stallion to which each was in-foal at the time of the sale –… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – 2017 Matings (Tuxedo Annie)
Tuxedo Annie is being bred in 2017 to Golden Years (Not For Love x Sweet Annuity, by Oh Say; $1,500 LFSN at O’Sullivan Farms) Unlike the rest of our mares, Tuxedo Annie is not being bred with a commercial purpose; rather, her foals will be kept to race with our partner. As such, a slightly different set… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – 2017 Matings (I’m Engaged – take 2)
I’m Engaged is now being bred in 2017 to Declaration of War (War Front x Tempo West, by Rahy; $35,000 LFSN at Ashford) Following the announcement that her proposed mate for 2017, Lord Nelson, is going to miss the 2017 breeding season after developing laminitis, I’m Engaged will instead visit the court of War Front’s champion son, Declaration… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – 2017 Matings (Rough Water)
Rough Water is being bred in 2017 to Verrazano (More Than Ready x Enchanted Rock, by Giant’s Causeway; $17,500 LFSN at Ashford) Given that Rough Water has already produced a pair of foals by More Than Ready who each brought $300,000 or more at the sales before going on to successful racetrack campaigns, we are excited to… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – 2017 Matings (Winning Bet)
Winning Bet is being bred in 2017 to Vancouver (Medaglia d’Oro x Skates, by Danehill; $15,000 LFSN at Ashford) This spring we will be breeding our new acquisition, Winning Bet, to one of the most impressive physical specimens that we have seen in our visits to Kentucky stud farms: the brilliant, unbeaten Australian Champion 2-year-old Vancouver. Winning Bet… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – 2017 Matings (I’m Engaged)
I’m Engaged is being bred in 2017 to Lord Nelson (Pulpit x African Jade, by Seeking the Gold; $25,000 LFSN at Spendthrift) As we mentioned in our explanation of the Share the Upside program pioneered by Spendthrift Farm, we are participating in that program with last year’s top sprinter, Lord Nelson. In addition to believing that Lord… [Read More]
Housatonic Bloodstock Services at Keeneland January
The catalog for Keeneland’s January Mixed Sale, which runs from Jan. 9th through Jan. 13th in Lexington, KY, has been posted online, featuring a large selection of broodmares, short yearlings, and horses of racing age. Housatonic Bloodstock can assist you in creating your shortlist in advance of the sale, whether you’re looking for a mare… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – 2017 Matings (Curlin’s Needle)
Curlin’s Needle is being bred in 2017 to Flashback (Tapit x Rhumb Line, by Mr. Greeley; $7,500 LFSN at Hill ‘N’ Dale) After she came up empty in 2016 to A.P. Indy’s son Girolamo, Curlin’s Needle will be bred in 2017 to Flashback, who is a speedy, young member of the A.P. Indy sire-line. As we mentioned… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – 2017 Matings (Atlantic Rainbow)
Atlantic Rainbow is being bred in 2017 to Midnight Lute (Real Quiet x Candytuft, by Dehere; $20,000 LFSN at Hill ‘N’ Dale) Midnight Lute will be Atlantic Rainbow’s mate for 2017, and he meets the same three major criteria that led us to pick Graydar for her last year: (1) his sire-line has had success… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – 2017 Matings (Akasha)
Akasha is being bred in 2017 to Hit It A Bomb (War Front x Liscanna, by Sadler’s Wells; $7,000 LFSN at Spendthrift) As we mentioned last year, we believe that Akasha’s best chance for success as a broodmare is going to come by crossing her with stallions from the Danzig sire-line, the best current representative of which… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – Plan B
A while back, we chronicled our unsuccessful attempt to sell Atlantic Rainbow’s yearling colt by The Factor (now named Nautical Nature) at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. We ended by noting that our 2016 crop of filly foals could still turn things around for us this year depending on how they ended up selling, and… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – The Lowdown on Share the Upside
We have posted recently on our social media pages (links at the top of our home page) about the “Share the Upside” program in which we will be participating at Spendthrift Farm with their new stallion, Lord Nelson, and we thought it worthwhile to explain a bit about the program for those that aren’t familiar… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – Best Laid Plans
Numerous tropes and cliches exist highlighting the difficulty of succeeding in the Thoroughbred racing industry: there’s the sartorially specific requirement that one must wear “long pants” to participate, or the idea that in order to end up as a millionaire with race horses, one ought to start off as a multimillionaire. Our personal favorite is… [Read More]
Housatonic’s 2016 Matings, Switching It Up
Curlin’s Needle is now being bred in 2016 to Discreet Cat (Forestry x Pretty Discreet, by Private Account; stands for $7,500 at Darley). Unfortunately, Curlin’s Needle repeatedly came up empty after several covers by Girolamo this spring. With one last shot to try to get her in foal for 2017, we decided to switch things… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – 2016 Derby Thoughts and the Pick
Since last June, it has been virtually guaranteed that this year’s Kentucky Derby would be something of a letdown, in that the winner could not help but fail to stack up against American Pharoah and his ultimately historic effort in the Run For the Roses on his way to becoming racing’s twelfth Triple Crown winner. … [Read More]
Housatonic’s 2016 Matings, New Mare and Her Mate
Akasha is being bred in 2016 to Data Link (War Front x Database, by Known Fact; stands for $7,500 at Claiborne). Data Link is a member of the first crop of current leading international stallion War Front, and now stands alongside his sire at the historic Claiborne Farm. After running well in two dirt tries… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – New Stallions of 2016, Part 2
The 2016 class of incoming stallions in Kentucky is a stronger group than there has been to retire the same year in recent memory, with six stallions beginning their stud careers for fees greater than $20,000. Part 1 of this blog encompassed all of the first-year stallions at the three farms standing those six highest-priced… [Read More]
Housatonic Meanderings – New Stallions of 2016, Part 1
The 2016 class of incoming stallions in Kentucky is a more promising group than there has been in recent memory, with six beginning their stud careers for fees greater than $20,000, namely American Pharoah ($200,000), Honor Code ($40,000), Tonalist ($30,000), Carpe Diem ($25,000), Constitution ($25,000) and Liam’s Map ($25,000). To have this many stallions starting… [Read More]
Housatonic’s 2016 Matings
I’m Engaged is being bred in 2016 to The Factor (War Front x Greyciousness, by Miswaki; stands for $25,000 at Lane’s End). The Factor was a brilliantly fast racehorse, and is the first top son of War Front. He broke his maiden at 6 furlongs as a 2-year-old in track record time of 1:06.98 at… [Read More]
Breeders’ Cup Meanderings – An American Classic
American Pharoah’s performance in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland was everything for which a horse racing fan could have hoped from the 12th Triple Crown winner’s swan song: his devastatingly easy victory was never in doubt, meaning it could be viewed with awe and with joy, and without a trace of apprehension. While critics… [Read More]
2015 Mating Decisions
Atlantic Rainbow’s mate for 2015 is Verrazano (More Than Ready x Enchanted Rock, by Giant’s Causeway; stands for $22,500 at Ashford). Verrazano was a brilliant racehorse, as witnessed by his dominant win in the Grade 1 Haskell, and he raced 10 times as a 3-year-old for Todd Pletcher, demonstrating his durability. He was also versatile,… [Read More]
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