That is a problem with racing today - breeding is more lucrative than racing, which is opposite of what it was in those days. Stallion fees couldn't match what a top horse could make in a year on the track and retirement was for when he ceased being a top horse. The trend started the other way in the late 70s/early 80s; the Breeders' Cup was an attempt to put up a big enough purse to keep the racing alternative attractive and it really hasn't worked because the purses haven't (and couldn't) keep up with the breeding fees available with 100+ mares bred and shuttling. When I started to watch racing, 40 was a full book of mares - Northern Dancer had like 22 foals (of which 11 or 12 were SWs) in his first crop.
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07-22-2008, 09:15 AM
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