Parallel Series

We’ve frequently mentioned, in this and other columns, varieties of what we call “Parallel Patterns.” There are variations, but a general description would be where a sire and a mare or broodmare sire are bred on a similar cross (we also have inversion of this, which we’ve christened “Reverse Parallel Patterns”). (More…)

Luck — Or Opportunity?

We had yet another example of the imporatance of considering opportunity when creating nick ratings with the August 1 victory of Luck Money in the Majestic Light Stakes at Saratoga. Irish-bred Luck Money was scoring his first stakes victory, although he’d been third to superstar Henrythenavigator in the Coventry Stakes (gr. II) and captured the Goffs Million (endowed with a $2.3 million purse!) last year at 2.

Lucky Money is by an excellent Irish sire, the now-deceased Indian Ridge, out of Dundel, a daughter of Machiavellian, and therein lies the problem for a nicking program that does not have the ability to consider true opportunity. (More…)

Opportunity Knocks

Some recent articles by propents of rival nicking systems have floated the idea that somehow programs that don’t use a database of worldwide stakes winners, and don’t consider true opportunity – in fact they admit they don’t use opportunity at all – can be more accurate than the TrueNicks program that considers true opportunity, and utilizes the comprehensive database of The Jockey Club Information Services. (More…)

River Edge Stallions Join TrueNicks

One of California’s leading stallion farms, River Edge, has become the latest to enroll its stallions on TrueNicks. River Edge Farm is home to three stallions: Benchmark (TrueNicks, SRO), Bertrando (TrueNicks, SRO), and Tribal Rule (TrueNicks, SRO). (More…)

Reader Q&A: Cost vs. Quality

Question: My question is whether there a much greater risk factor when considering between two stallions that differ in the fact that one has many proven mares and was a very good performer himself, while the other is a young stallion that is well-bred but has never raced because of an injury, and doesn’t yet have a large number of offspring? The two stallions give a similar nick rating. I have a case like this where I’m trying to make a decision about cost vs quality. I should mention the tried and proven stallion is quite a bit more expensive of course. — Garrie (More…)

It’s a Danzig Affair

It was quite a weekend for the Danzig. First of all, Danzig himself was represented by 200th stakes winner when Olympic captured the Mataji Stakes at Calder. And a review of stakes activity around the world shows that (More…)

Score One for Uno

Some time ago on this blog we noted that second-year sire Macho Uno (TrueNicks, SRO) was one to watch. The champion 2-year-old of his crop and half-brother to Awesome Again was represented by Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III) and Breeders’ Futuirty (gr. I) victor Wicked Style, and two-time stakes winning filly Swifty Victress, with his first 2-year-olds. (More…)