Quality Road
 

Quality Road is the 2014 Leading Freshman Sire. What made him so good and where does his future take him?

http://regalbloodlines.com/2014/12/3...freshman-sire/

I loved his breeding, and thought he could be a great one. Of course he acquired hoof problems, and then Pletcher got a hold of him. QR was breathing fire while he was at Gulfstream prior to the Derby. When he raced under Pletcher later that year in New York his demeanor was completely different. He looked unsure of himself on the track. I just think Pletcher has a certain way he trains his runners and it didn't bring out the best in QR. Pletcher always trained him to be rated. I think most times that's what's best. I think in Quality Road's case it gelded him... he wanted to be the stud and the boss of the herd. LOL he still won some big races while not being able to show his best... I liked the Strawberry Road Mare over Elusive Quality. I just thought it made a nice combination. It gave a horse with Quality Roads speed more points in the classic aptitude in Dr. Romans breeding theory. Which is a rarity. He didn't need to be restrained. He just needed to be taught to relax on the lead instead of being trained to stalk.... He will produce some great horses...

He had the anomaly of Hootenanny winning the BC Juvy Turf, which really boosted his progeny earnings.

Hootenanny may have been an anomaly, but no other Freshman Sire came close to producing a superstar 2-year-old the likes of him.

not sure if winning a big money race is an anomaly, everyone had a chance to enter and win. Hootenanny is a really good horse and Quality Road is a really good sire.

He deserves number one First crop sire.

Allan

Bob,
good article, one quibble however, Blofeld hasn't run on grass or synthetic, so we really don't know if he prefers dirt, Synthetic or Grass.

His third dam is Minstrella who won g1's in Europe on grass.

Blofeld could be exactly like quality road, never races on the grass because he's so good on dirt.

Allan

Thank you Allan. I agree-he could be a better runner on the lawn. We probably won't know for a while, if we ever do.

Final totals for first crop sires

quality road 44 starter 18 winners $1,572,480
super saver 57 starter 16 winners $1,547,113

Quality road had the winner in the 5th at GP Starry road $24, whilst the best SS could do was a chalky 3rd in Laurel's first yesterday.

Allan

They were neck and neck. Here is an article I did on Super Saver some months back.

http://regalbloodlines.com/2014/08/0...r-derby-champ/

You're right-all that was needed was to teach him to relax on the lead-he somehow may have been even a more dominant horse.

Based on my memories of him....... I thought Quality road was a "head case"....not sure he could be "taught" anything!

Pletcher tried to teach him to rate, and the result was a dismal BC run. Sometimes you have to let speed horses be speed horses. It's a weapon, after all.

Only a couple of trainers have figured that part out. Baffert and Lukas have never had a problem in just letting them run.

This is very true. Why not just let them run; for many this is the style that fits them. Look at Take Charge Brandi for example. They tried to rate her and she failed.