Comments on: AMERICAN GRADED STAKES STANDINGS brought to you by Keeneland: EVERY DAY IS BLACK FRIDAY

By: Don Reed

Don Reed — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:31:54 +0000

I appreciate the price angle.

Also appreciated: Haynesfield as possibly the worst Derby Future Pool entry in the 2000s.

By: FourCats

FourCats — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:32:06 +0000

“Of the 137 American Graded Stakes winners of 2009 that sold as yearlings, 43 of them sold for $50,000 or less—nearly one-third. That’s pretty good value!”

Uh, no. A meaningless statistic. Most yearlings that sell at public auction sell for less than $50,000.

If you want to show how the true value of yearlings that sold for less than $50,000 (or those above as well), you would give the percentage of those yearlings whose earnings (including purses as well as all other income such as stud fees) exceeded the sum of their purchase price and their total costs to keep throughout their lives (which admittedly is much harder to calculate that your statistic). Those who cost more to keep than they bring in are not good values economically regardless of how many won Graded Stakes. Of course, the intangible joy to the owner of having and racing a horse has some value over and above the economic value.

By: Garrett Redmond

Garrett Redmond — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:01:26 +0000

Do the statistics suggest what our business lacks are those with “an eye for a horse”?
If buyers would get their eyes (and those of their ‘advisers’ ) off the page and look instead at the horse, they would make better purchases.

I’m darned if I can see any reason why Veterinarians can be blamed when a horse drops in MARKET value from one sale to the next
.
Ray, I’ll lay you 100 donuts (you get to pick them) to your hundred U.S dollars, you cannot substantiate the implication.

By: Zak

Zak — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:22:21 +0000

I would hasten to add hip no. 703, a filly by Street Cry who sold at the September 2005 sale for only $60k or twice Street Cry’s, (conception year) stud fee. While the consignors didn’t hit one out of the park, they probably felt good getting that kind of money for a filly described by many as “too big”. The ROI isn’t as dramatic as some of the other bargains you mention but I don’t think Mr. and Mrs. Moss are complaining about Zenyatta’s price one bit.