I’m Not Alright…You Need to Worry about my Mental Health…

[RolloTomasi]

Grade 1-placed winner Loggins , a 3-year-old son of Ghostzapper, has been retired, according to BSW/Crow Bloodstock.

Retired from what? Sitting at the farm for the past 8 months?

Bred in Kentucky by Shirley and P.L. Blake's Pop-A-Top out of their homebred grade 3 winner Beyond Blame , Loggins was a standout at Fasig-Tipton's 2021 Saratoga Sale, its select yearling sale in New York. He was purchased for $460,000 for the Brad Cox Colts Group out of Denali Stud's consignment.

Well, he made less than half that back on the racetrack, but I’m sure the balance was made up for in the excitement & emotion he stirred up in his 2 career starts.

"When we bought Loggins in Saratoga, Brad Cox and I thought he was the best physical in the sale," said bloodstock agent Liz Crow.

Why are you telling us this? I presume you are planning to schedule an appointment with you optometrist soon? You might want to also contact your lawyer in case Brad Cox hits you with a civil suit for slander…

"We relooked at our list the evening before the sale and felt he was a must-have. He had athleticism, power, and was very mentally tough."

This is my favorite…

“Mentally tough”?

Not “physically tough”?

To be fair, I guess a horse has to be mentally tough to survive a stay at the Black Hole of WinStar Farm…

Loggins showed his competitiveness immediately, winning his debut Sept. 17 at Churchill Downs by 8 1/2 lengths and earning a 100 Equibase Speed Figure. He stopped the timer after running 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.87.

Stopped the timer in 1:15.87…

So what is that, about 40% of his total racing career?

Anyways, who cares about the Equibase Speed Figure?

What about his Crow Mental Health Figure for the race?

Trainer Brad Cox put the colt into graded stakes company in his next start, where he faced future 2-year-old champion colt Forte in the Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. Loggins captured the lead late down the backstretch and held it through the second turn. As he entered the stretch, Forte loomed on the outside to challenge, and they battled head and head, stride for stride to the wire with Loggins finishing a neck behind Forte. Both colts earned a 102 ESF for their performances.

I know how to bolster this colt’s stallion resume…they ought to sue the connections of Forte since Forte only ran in the Breeders’ Futurity because his positive test in the Hopeful somehow precluded him from running in the Champagne, which was his intended next race…

"Loggins was a beautiful yearling. I was quickly drawn to him given the fact we had trained the mare," said Cox. "He was a precocious, fast 2-year-old that showed brilliance from day one.

Brilliant from Day One, eh?

Must have been bliss those other 149 days of his racing & training career…

His race in the Breeders' Futurity may have been one of the most impressive races by a 2-year-old that season.

Hold on there…

Not from a mental health standpoint it wasn’t…

You could see the depression come over the colt as he and Forte awaited the stewards inquiry decision: Forte, head held high, dragging his handlers around…Loggins, head down, stumbling, looking like he wanted to lie down…

No, methinks his Cox Mental Health Figure dropped a few points from his maiden win…

"We were looking forward to running him in the classics after that performance. Unfortunately, he had a setback he could not come back from," he continued.

I guess you shoulda looked forward to running him in the BC Juvenile first…

"He was cut out to be special."

So who’s to blame for his abject failure to have a true racing career? The trainer? The bloodstock psychoanalyst?

Or the lack of access to proper mental health care in this country?

Loggins was raced by Spendthrift Farm, Steve Landers Racing, Martin S. Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing Stables, Kueber Racing, Big Easy Racing, and Winners Win.

Took like a 100 guys to run this horse twice?

How many of them does it take to change a lightbulb?

Beyond Blame, an 8-year-old daughter of Blame , won the Regret Stakes (G3T) on her way to earning $238,630.

Made more than her son…must have been both mentally & physically tough?

She is out of the Forest Wildcat winner and multiple stakes producer Quippery , who is a half sister to grade 2-placed, grade 3 winner Bellera and grade 3 winner Life Imitates Art . The immediate family produced multiple grade 1 winner and sire Street Boss and multiple grade 1 winner Jack Christopher.

Family Street Boss & Jack Christopher? They combined to run less than 20 times…or in Loggins terms nearly 10 campaigns…

Stud plans for Loggins are pending.

Well, given his race record, I wouldn’t plan beyond the first 2 matings…

[Dahoss]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

What about his Crow Mental Health Figure for the race?

It’s all hilarious but this is a standout for me.

[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”…

[freddymo]

I do not think Sid Fernando shares your thoughts after listening to ATR's this morning

[moses]

Isn’t Preakness winner Rombauer still in training? What more does he have to prove? I realize the Preakness win is probably dragging him down a bit but he finished a solid 2nd in the G1 American Pharoah in only his third start. Isn’t that enough?

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by freddymo

I do not think Sid Fernando shares your thoughts after listening to ATR's this morning

If he's actively involved in breeding industry, maybe he goes as the Liz Crow flies...

What does Lauren Stich have to say?

[freddymo]

Originally Posted by RolloTomasi

If he's actively involved in breeding industry, maybe he goes as the Liz Crow flies...

What does Lauren Stich have to say?

I believe Hill n Dale sponsors him on Steve's show and is a stalwart in the breeding industry. He is a VERY sharp mind! He would shred this as complete I forgot what he called it on Steve's show, but it was GOOD. lol

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by freddymo

I believe Hill n Dale sponsors him on Steve's show and is a stalwart in the breeding industry. He is a VERY sharp mind! He would shred this as complete I forgot what he called it on Steve's show, but it was GOOD. lol

It was something about armchair experts spouting into an echo chamber of negativity.

He was close, I was sitting on a day bed when I made my post.

However, he wasn't so close on his recollection of Vice Regent being stood at stud simply because his owner/breeder had a "gut feeling".

Vice Regent, who broke his maiden by 14 lengths but was felled by injury, was the younger full brother of Viceregal, who was Canadian HOY as an undefeated 2yo in 8 starts. Their sire was the great Northern Dancer who was taking off as a young stallion. Viceregal was from his limited first crop, which proved to yield an unheard of nearly 50% stakes winners.

In addition, the second dam & her get produced all kinds of champions, Queen's Plate winners, stakes horses, and track record setters.

EP Taylor would have been a fool not give Vice Regent a shot at stud.

[freddymo]

It must have hurt you deeply if you pulled that terminology from memory. Steve, when Sid is marginalizing the plight of the Keyboard Warriors, can you please correct him and let him know that ATR is inclusive programming and the systemic dismantling of people in their daybed is unacceptable? #SaveRollo

[Kasept]

Originally Posted by moses

Isn’t Preakness winner Rombauer still in training? What more does he have to prove? I realize the Preakness win is probably dragging him down a bit but he finished a solid 2nd in the G1 American Pharoah in only his third start. Isn’t that enough?

John Fradkin could not get a domestic stud deal that he was satisfied with..

[moses]

Originally Posted by Kasept

John Fradkin could not get a domestic stud deal that he was satisfied with..

Interesting. I’ll be rooting for that horse whenever he resurfaces on the track.