Quote:
Originally Posted by dilanesp
If you imagine Flightline having a career like an old-time horse (let's say Affirmed, with 29 starts), you wouldn't simply be worried about "losing a race" (although I do think "losing a race" might be more costly than you are positing). You'd be worried about multiple losses, a decline in form, etc. The path of least resistance is to establish a horse's breeding value and then retire immediately, and that is what we are seeing.
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You keep comparing everything to the 70's times have changed. Horses don't race 30 times in a career anymore unless they are claimers or geldings. Flightline has never been tested and racing one more year wouldn't prove anything because other trainers wouldn't want to face him. He would be running in 5 horse fields against overmatched horses. Horse owners can make a lot more money on stud fees than on the track. Not to mention the insurance rates for horses as valuable as Flightline. His initial stud fee is set at $200,000. If he sires 100 foals which is a low estimate. That's $20 million. He can't make that on the track
