Sign of a shift from dirt to synthetics?

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

There are roughly 45000 mares bred in the US each year. The Arabs buy between 20-40 yearlings in the American market. The vast majority (maybe 98%) aren't breeding with Sheikh Mo in mind.

You don't think anyone is breeding a horse in hopes that it shows early speed and is sold to Godolphin? Isn't that the reason to be in the game?

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

You don't think anyone is breeding a horse in hopes that it shows early speed and is sold to Godolphin? Isn't that the reason to be in the game?

What difference does it make to the breeders if the horse shows speed and is sold to Godolphin as the vast majority of breeders sell their horses before they reach the races? You are not understand the commercial breeding business though most dont either. While it is certainly a hope for breeders that the Arabs will want to buy their horses, they only buy from certain sires (including for awhile no coolmore stallions) and the mares have to have a ton of pedigree. The size of the pool of horses that would even qualify for them to look at as babies is very small. Commercial breeders breed hoping to sell enough to cover the expenses with the hopes that every once in a while they get an outstanding foal who will sell really well regardless of who buys it.

[pointman]

With all the rain in Dubai, I can understand why they need a synthetic surface.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

What difference does it make to the breeders if the horse shows speed and is sold to Godolphin as the vast majority of breeders sell their horses before they reach the races? You are not understand the commercial breeding business though most dont either. While it is certainly a hope for breeders that the Arabs will want to buy their horses, they only buy from certain sires (including for awhile no coolmore stallions) and the mares have to have a ton of pedigree. The size of the pool of horses that would even qualify for them to look at as babies is very small. Commercial breeders breed hoping to sell enough to cover the expenses with the hopes that every once in a while they get an outstanding foal who will sell really well regardless of who buys it.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is for that small group of mares with tons of pedigree will we see a shift in what stallions they are sent to from sires whose progeny excel on the dirt to sires whose progeny excel on synthetics? If Sheikh Mo becomes more interested in getting synthetic horses for his new track I can't see that being anything but bad for dirt racing.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

I guess what I'm trying to get at is for that small group of mares with tons of pedigree will we see a shift in what stallions they are sent to from sires whose progeny excel on the dirt to sires whose progeny excel on synthetics? If Sheikh Mo becomes more interested in getting synthetic horses for his new track I can't see that being anything but bad for dirt racing.

Only if you can define strictly synthetic stallions. I understand what you are getting at but it is close to impossible to establish what synthetic breeding is without years of more data. The scary thing would be Sheikh Mo stop buying horses.