JustRalph
10-23-2008, 12:29 AM
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/breeding-news/2008/October/21/War-Emblem-sires-classic-winner.aspx
War Emblem sires classic winner
by Mike Curry
Despite an extremely limited number of foals, dual classic winner and 2002 champion three-year-old male War Emblem became the sire of a classic winner on October 19 when Black Emblem won the Shuka Sho by a half-length at Kyoto Racecourse.
The Shuka Sho is the third leg of the Japanese Triple Tiara for three-year-old fillies, and Black Emblem’s victory could be just the beginning for War Emblem, a reluctant breeder who began covering mares again this spring for the first time since 2005.
The Yoshida family purchased War Emblem from The Thoroughbred Corp. for $17-million in fall 2002 and sent him to Shadai Stallion Station on the island of Hokkaido for the ’03 breeding season. War Emblem was a reluctant breeder from the start and produced only four foals in his first crop. There were 33 foals in War Emblem’s second crop, one of which was Black Emblem, and five foals in his third crop.
Sue McDonnell, PhD., a specialist in stallion behavior and breeding management at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, traveled to Shadai Stallion Station in the spring to begin working with War Emblem, who has 16 winners and three stakes winners from 31 starters according to stastics provided by The Jockey Club. McDonnell said she believes War Emblem did not cover any mares in ’06 or ’07.
“I think he has 19 pregnancies from the spring, and he’s breeding some on Southern Hemisphere time,” McDonnell said on Tuesday. “The third week he was breeding this year, he bred three mares a day for seven days straight because they were available. The thing is, when he got going toward the end of the season, there weren’t many mares left to go to him, and [Shadai was] scrambling for mares.”
War Emblem won the 2002 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1), but his Triple Crown bid ended when he stumbled out of the gate at the start of the Belmont Stakes (G1) and finished eighth. McDonnell said the farm became enthusiastic about trying to spark War Emblem’s breeding interest because of the early success of his runners. McDonnell explained the treatment War Emblem received in a press release in June.
"He has had fertile sperm, but for several years has remained selective about which mares he would cover," McDonnell said in the release. "His therapy program, which commenced in early spring, consists of a combination of changes in housing and management to naturally build maturity and breeding confidence, changes in breeding shed handling techniques to maximize response, and carefully managed hormone supplementation as needed to boost libido to reduce his mare choosiness while his confidence builds."
McDonnell said on Tuesday she expects War Emblem to begin breeding regularly in February at Shadai. Based on the results of the treatment this spring, McDonnell said she is cautiously optimistic that War Emblem can begin a normal career at stud.
~much more the link~
War Emblem sires classic winner
by Mike Curry
Despite an extremely limited number of foals, dual classic winner and 2002 champion three-year-old male War Emblem became the sire of a classic winner on October 19 when Black Emblem won the Shuka Sho by a half-length at Kyoto Racecourse.
The Shuka Sho is the third leg of the Japanese Triple Tiara for three-year-old fillies, and Black Emblem’s victory could be just the beginning for War Emblem, a reluctant breeder who began covering mares again this spring for the first time since 2005.
The Yoshida family purchased War Emblem from The Thoroughbred Corp. for $17-million in fall 2002 and sent him to Shadai Stallion Station on the island of Hokkaido for the ’03 breeding season. War Emblem was a reluctant breeder from the start and produced only four foals in his first crop. There were 33 foals in War Emblem’s second crop, one of which was Black Emblem, and five foals in his third crop.
Sue McDonnell, PhD., a specialist in stallion behavior and breeding management at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, traveled to Shadai Stallion Station in the spring to begin working with War Emblem, who has 16 winners and three stakes winners from 31 starters according to stastics provided by The Jockey Club. McDonnell said she believes War Emblem did not cover any mares in ’06 or ’07.
“I think he has 19 pregnancies from the spring, and he’s breeding some on Southern Hemisphere time,” McDonnell said on Tuesday. “The third week he was breeding this year, he bred three mares a day for seven days straight because they were available. The thing is, when he got going toward the end of the season, there weren’t many mares left to go to him, and [Shadai was] scrambling for mares.”
War Emblem won the 2002 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1), but his Triple Crown bid ended when he stumbled out of the gate at the start of the Belmont Stakes (G1) and finished eighth. McDonnell said the farm became enthusiastic about trying to spark War Emblem’s breeding interest because of the early success of his runners. McDonnell explained the treatment War Emblem received in a press release in June.
"He has had fertile sperm, but for several years has remained selective about which mares he would cover," McDonnell said in the release. "His therapy program, which commenced in early spring, consists of a combination of changes in housing and management to naturally build maturity and breeding confidence, changes in breeding shed handling techniques to maximize response, and carefully managed hormone supplementation as needed to boost libido to reduce his mare choosiness while his confidence builds."
McDonnell said on Tuesday she expects War Emblem to begin breeding regularly in February at Shadai. Based on the results of the treatment this spring, McDonnell said she is cautiously optimistic that War Emblem can begin a normal career at stud.
~much more the link~