Will Rachel Alexandra continue to race?

[Tom-Oh]

After this outstanding win at Woodward Stakes, the thought came to mind, will she continue to race, or just begin to birth astonishing horses and become a money making machine for the owners? I can easily see her offspring being sold at immense prices especially if she's breeded with an incredible male horse. I'm only thinking this because it's the end of 2009 season and I'm not sure if they'll put her through the entire 2010 aswell...

I personally think she's done what's necessary and will go down in horse racing history, I think if they stop her here, her offspring will sell for more than if she enters 2010 and loses a race or 2.

Just an angle of thinking, I'm really not sure at all...

Thoughts? Answers?

[Imriledup]

Rachel will most likely be bred to Curlin and there's a very good chance that foal will not be for sale since her owner is old and needs the horses more than he needs the money. This guy is not in the selling business, especially a curlin-Rachel baby, that horse will be campaigned by Rachel's current owner.

Somewhere down the line Rachel's babies can go to auction. The price of that baby depends on a lot of things, but the most important thing is how the foal looks as an 'individual'. Regardless of breeding, if a foal doesn't look great and has a crooked leg or something that's not 'perfect' the price the horse will bring at auction is only a fraction of what it would bring if it was perfect.

One of the most 'perfect' horses to go thru auction was Fusiachi Pegasus. He brought 4 million bucks because he looked so amazing. Lots of people who looked at him had him rated A+ , there was nothing wrong with him physically. It also helped he was bred really well.

So, it all depends on how Rachel's babies look.

I'm a little skeptical of a Curlin-Rachel baby just because both horses are so physically imposing, Curlin is like a bodybuilder muscle on top of muscles, who's to say that Rachel will produce a great foal by this sire? Its all potluck really. Some of the greatest racemares turned out to be duds as producers. Genuine Risk, a filly who won the Ky Derby turned out to be no good as a producer.

[Tom-Oh]

Man, I sure would be excited to see Rachel's baby running in 2 years, Dud or not, it'd b an event for me :)

[statik27]

Rachel will most likely be bred to Curlin and there's a very good chance that foal will not be for sale since her owner is old and needs the horses more than he needs the money. This guy is not in the selling business, especially a curlin-Rachel baby, that horse will be campaigned by Rachel's current owner.

Somewhere down the line Rachel's babies can go to auction. The price of that baby depends on a lot of things, but the most important thing is how the foal looks as an 'individual'. Regardless of breeding, if a foal doesn't look great and has a crooked leg or something that's not 'perfect' the price the horse will bring at auction is only a fraction of what it would bring if it was perfect.

One of the most 'perfect' horses to go thru auction was Fusiachi Pegasus. He brought 4 million bucks because he looked so amazing. Lots of people who looked at him had him rated A+ , there was nothing wrong with him physically. It also helped he was bred really well.

So, it all depends on how Rachel's babies look.

I'm a little skeptical of a Curlin-Rachel baby just because both horses are so physically imposing, Curlin is like a bodybuilder muscle on top of muscles, who's to say that Rachel will produce a great foal by this sire? Its all potluck really. Some of the greatest racemares turned out to be duds as producers. Genuine Risk, a filly who won the Ky Derby turned out to be no good as a producer.


I think you've hit the nail on the head here. The Curlin, RA cross doesn't really do anything for me. Lots of times when you cross two physically imposing horses you get an offspring that looks like a giraffe and runs like a camel. Personally, I'd like to see her go to Giants Causeway.

[Java Gold@TFT]

I think you've hit the nail on the head here. The Curlin, RA cross doesn't really do anything for me. Lots of times when you cross two physically imposing horses you get an offspring that looks like a giraffe and runs like a camel. Personally, I'd like to see her go to Giants Causeway.
I love Giant's Causeway and think he will turn out to be won of the best stallions of the early part of this century - BUT Rachel is already 4X4 cross to Northern Dancer through Saddler's Wells and he is 3rd generation Northern Dancer through Storm Bird. I'm no nicking expert but it doesn't look like a good match just eyeballing the pedigrees.

[Hank]

I think you've hit the nail on the head here. The Curlin, RA cross doesn't really do anything for me. Lots of times when you cross two physically imposing horses you get an offspring that looks like a giraffe and runs like a camel. Personally, I'd like to see her go to Giants Causeway.

Ra physically imposing?:confused: shes a beautiful filly but shes not an amazon like say winning colors.And Curiln though very muscular is not over sized.

[bisket]

I'm a little skeptical of a Curlin-Rachel baby just because both horses are so physically imposing, Curlin is like a bodybuilder muscle on top of muscles, who's to say that Rachel will produce a great foal by this sire? Its all potluck really. Some of the greatest racemares turned out to be duds as producers. Genuine Risk, a filly who won the Ky Derby turned out to be no good as a producer.
curlin's not a thoroughbred. he's clydesdale. he should be pulling a beer wagon ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD6ghskNKa8

[whoknew]

Heavens, I certainly hope the "Rachel" connections decide to run her in 2010. This dying sport of ours needs heroes and heroines. Each year when the season is done for three year old colts they are carted off to the breeding sheds with only dollars signs in the eyes of their owners. Breeders, quick to jump on commercial bandwagons, breed to them without knowing how they would have stood up to racing in their four year old or older years. Maybe if more of these "star" three year olds were gelded before starting we could have some decent runners to root for and bet on. They could then become the Seabiscuits and John Henrys of the future.

[Java Gold@TFT]

Heavens, I certainly hope the "Rachel" connections decide to run her in 2010. This dying sport of ours needs heroes and heroines. Each year when the season is done for three year old colts they are carted off to the breeding sheds with only dollars signs in the eyes of their owners. Breeders, quick to jump on commercial bandwagons, breed to them without knowing how they would have stood up to racing in their four year old or older years. Maybe if more of these "star" three year olds were gelded before starting we could have some decent runners to root for and bet on. They could then become the Seabiscuits and John Henrys of the future.
One reason for the instant trip to the shed is the outrageous value of these horses. They have to win 3 races at age 4 just to pay the insurance premiums for the year. That's before the trainers, vets and travel. A top level runner will make$3-4Million in a year. A very good horse with good breeding can easily cover 50 mares at $40,000 per head in his first season. $20 mil vs. $3 mil? As was said so eloquently in the Godfather- it's not personal. It's just business.

[Dan H]

Breed her to Unusual Heat, an outstanding sire to synthetic winners.

[Steve R]

The problem with breeding Curlin to Rachel Alexandra is that he doesn't nearly fit the pattern of a successful sire. He was a relatively late developer, his female family is very weak and his sire, now 17, hasn't yet produced a son at stud that one could even describe as useful. Add to that the fact that although he was a good horse, he was not unusually fast, and you have a stallion with historically limited prospects.