[RolloTomasi]

Loggins to Hill 'n' Dale

Hill 'n' Dale announced June 12 that Loggins will take up stud duty in 2024 alongside his sire Ghostzapper who has proven to be one of the most enduring sources of World Class runners for well over a decade.

Let’s be real, regardless of any aggregate numbers of progeny earnings and the like; Ghostzapper’s best sons thus far were Mystic Guide, Shaman Ghost, and Moreno. That’s not Murderer’s Row. That’s Accessory to Muderer’s Row at best…

That said, he is a phenomenal sire of female sprinters (Goodnight Olive, Judy the Beauty, Paulassilverlining, Guarana).

A singular talent as a racehorse, Horse of the Year Ghostzapper posted a 128 Beyer, the fastest Speed Figure ever awarded. A perennial Leading Sire, in 2021 he ranked #2 with over $16,000,000 in single-season progeny earnings.

Nice stats. But this puff piece is supposed to be about Loggins, right?

Even so, Ghostzapper has been an inconsistent sire; he’s cracked the leading sire top ten 10 only twice since 2014, one year on the back of Shaman Ghost’s Pegasus Faux Cup earnings (when it was $12 million) & the other when Mystic Guide walloped Chuwa Warrior & Sleepy Eyes Todd in a weak renewal of the Dubai World Cup.

"Loggins was a brilliant 2-year-old, breaking his maiden in hugely impressive fashion at Churchill and narrowly beaten by champion Forte in the Breeder's Futurity (G1) in only his second start.

In “only his second start”? That’s a bit disingenuous…it also happened to be his final start.

Better late than never, right?

It is too bad he got hurt as I am certain he was a grade 1 talent.

I like this. “It is too bad he got hurt”…like it’s just one of those things. Potential breeders shouldn’t factor in sh!t like a horse’s soundness, longevity, or ability to handle a lot of racing or anything when choosing a stallion.

And if you are so certain that he was a Grade 1 talent than there’s no reason to regret that he didn’t accomplish more on the racetrack…but we both know that’s not true.

…he is a stunner to look at.

Looking at him is about all anyone was able to do during his racing career…

Even that was difficult as he spent most of the time at the Black Hole @WinStar.

Ghostzapper continues to be a great sire and I think Loggins was his most precocious 2-year-old while only scratching the surface of his ability.

“I think” just means that Sikura was unwilling to actually look at Ghostzapper’s record with juveniles because he knows that he’s sired plenty of stakes winning 2yos. McCraken was all the rage as one of the winter book favorites for the Derby after going unbeaten in 3 starts at 2. Queen’s Plate-winning filly Moira broke her maiden first time out in a stakes. The great Nucky won a Grade 1 at 2.

Remember, as George Costanza said: it’s not a lie if you believe it…

This recipe has worked for us in the past with the likes of Maclean's Music.

This is the most egregious comment in this whole spew fest. You really going to sit there & try to promote the idea that young horses that break down within their first couple of starts is what you want to look for in a stallion?

What do we need races like the the 3yo classics, the Met Mile, etc. for then?

Meanwhile, I won’t delve into Maclean’s Music’s stud career but sufficed it to say, his top runners aside from champion Jackie’s Warrior were one hit wonder Cloud Computing & flash in the pan Drain the Clock…

I think Loggins will become another important Hill n Dale stallion," said John G. Sikura, president of Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa.

At least he qualified it as an important “Hill n Dale” stallion. Relatively speaking.

Liz Crow, one of the most astute agents in the business said, "(Trainer) Brad Cox and I were intent on purchasing the best colt at Saratoga regardless of price.

Did the guys footing the bill know about your dodgy plans?

Loggins, hands-down, was the most impressive physical at the entire sale.

This is why she’s one of the most “astute” agents, folks. Two starts & done.

Some physical.

I know, I know; there’s no way to know that a horse is going to get hurt (“it’s too bad”) with all the “stepped in a hole”& “it’s part of the game” & whatnot. Certainly can’t make any predictions based on a horse’s physical attributes.

He was an absolute 'must-have' colt.

Yeah, but he turned out not to be a “must-have’, right? You guys would have already unloaded this horse in a hurry for any kind of price if he didn’t have that black type from the Breeder’s Futurity.

He ended up selling as the highest-priced colt of the year for his sire."

Well that’s obvious…you already told us about your & Cox’s brilliant plan to by the horse regardless of price…

The team of the Brad Cox Colts Group purchased the yearling for $460,000 from consignor Denali Stud, who consigned the horse on behalf of his breeder Popatop.

After the above, I don’t know, this sentence sounds like the listing of the players in some sort of conspiracy ring.

At any rate, apparently Liz Crow (who refuses to eat crow on this horse) also was going to buy Loggins regardless of future earnings on the racetrack.

Horse didn’t even make half his purchase price back. I’m sure they’ll mention this later in the article.

Loggins was a talking horse from the time he entered Brad Cox's barn.

Oh for fucl<’s sake…he’s Mister Ed now?!!

You want a talking horse? Go grab some peanut butter.

Sent off at less than even money in his first start, the imposing colt delivered on expectations, earning TDN Rising Star Status after an 8 1/2 length open-air victory under wraps.

What a bloated recap of his maiden that was.

I guess considering his subsequent fragility, I presume he was “under wraps” in more ways then one. Bubble and whatnot…

To put Loggins' debut performance into perspective, in his next start, in the Claiborne Futurity (G1) at Keeneland which also saw eventual 2-year-old champion Forte going postward, Loggins was once again sent off the favorite notwithstanding the fact that Forte was coming off a grade 1 win at Saratoga Race Course.

Hmmm…maybe some insiders knew that Forte had tested positive (& ultimately was not coming off a grade 1 win at Saratoga), especially since he was supposed to run in the Champagne.

Conspiracies aside (save that for “must-haves” at the yearling sales), is that how low we have to stoop to advertise a stallion?

"Overpriced at the sales & favored in a race that he lost"…Sign me up.

Narrowly beaten in a hard-fought battle to the wire, Loggins received the identical Speed Figure awarded Forte, who had nudged his nose in front at the wire.

Where’s Ernest Hemingway when you need him?

“Forte beat Loggins.” or "Forte showed more heart than Loggins."

Cox said: "He was my Derby horse. Loggins was an incredibly fast, precocious, beautiful horse with immense ability. A true grade 1 talent."

Cox had about 16 Derby horses this year.

4 made it to the race.

None of them won.

They didn’t win the Preakness or Belmont, either.

A stud fee has not yet been announced.

That’s OK, I’m sure breeders are lining up to breed to him “regardless of price”…