KENTUCKY STALLION EXODUS
With fewer incentives than other less traditional racing states, the Horse Capital of the World is reeling from the failure of opportunities like expanded gaming at racetracks combined with the overall economic impact of the worldwide recession.
Ro Parra of Millennium Farms said in Alicia Wincze’s column, "I’m not sure if the number of stallions leaving is more than it has been in past years, but it sure feels like it."
Read it at the Lexington Herald-Leader
Then come back to the Paulick Report and let us know what you think
Tags: Alicia Wincze, bradford cummings, horse capital of the world, lexington herald-leader, Millenium Farms, Paulick Report, Ro Parra
February 15th, 2010 at 8:09 am
Jumpstart and Posse are eyebrow raisers. Both could have been useful to Kentucky mares this year. A harbinger of things to come perhaps for Kentucky….
February 15th, 2010 at 11:10 am
Ro Parra should be an expert on stallions leaving KY.Just how many did he send recently to LA? Where they have,uh,slot machines to help the breeding program.
And who is Ro’s PR shill?Why,none other than Sen. Damon ‘Family Values ‘Thayer R- Georgetown.
Wonder if Damon helped load the van.
February 15th, 2010 at 11:51 am
The downturn in KY stallions has little do with SLOTS…it has everything to do with the fact that “cheap” mares being bred to “cheap” stallions are no longer remotely profitable. There have been far too many stallions and mares being bred the last 15 years…EVERYONE knows that! Hopefully the reduction in foal crop size will result in fewer UNWANTED horses. Did anyone notice the number of “no bids” at the recent Fasig Feb sale? Anyone who takes the time and money to breed their mare to a noncommercial stallion had better be prepared to own it for a very long time!
And I sure hope there is a surge in GELDING this year!
February 15th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
It would be a more honest assessment to say that BOTH lack of purse enhancements & lack of profitabilty due to the economic downturn have contributed in a stallion & mare exodus. Ms. Wincze gave a good representation of both in her Herald-Leader article.
To say that a lack of purse enhancements, such as slots or vlts, has nothing to do with it is ignorant. I hear it every day. Better to race where there is some chance of at least negating training & other expenses where slots enhanced purses are offered. The decline will also come in Breeder incentives due to the falling off of Kentucky breds, thereby making that fund a non-entity.
Sen. Thayer can’t claim credit for a Breeders’ Fund when it no longer becomes viable as an “attraction” or an “incentive.”
The “little boys” in Frankfort better figure out something soon. It’s enough they can’t have their cake & eat it, too, this time, with the state budget in such a mess. Nothing worse than a bunch of politicians up for re-election with no “spoils” to carry home to their districts. If anything, the Governor rightfully dumped the decision off on these little playground bullies to make the tough cuts since the bullies only want to pay lip service to a balanced budget and what to do with Kentucky’s large employer that is thoroughbred & racing.
If the thorughbred industry was a big single corporation employing 50,000 people directly, what kind of back-bending would Kentucky do to lure that industry here?? They do far more for a few hundred jobs, according to many of the economic development incentive pakcages proffered to other companies.
So why doesn’t the Kentucky legislature join together to help reinforce and save the thousands of direct jobs (and indirect jobs and economic development/revenue) of Kentucky’s signature thoroughbred breeding farms?
PURELY POLITICS AND GRANDSTANDING.
Ro Parra should give Mr. Thayer a good proverbial kick in the pants for being an obstructionist in the legislature. But Parra has no one to blame but himself if he suffers financially, for he’s propping up a demagogue and a hypocritical politician.
February 15th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Racing secretaries should encourage owners to desex poorly bred colts and fillies by offering jockey weight allowances.
February 15th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
What happens to local stallions when they are displaced by bigger KY stallions if they fail to be relocated to lesser states? 1,679 stallions were active in the top ten states ( #1 KY - #10 OK) in 2008 and 1,529 in 2009. What happened to 150 stallions? Did they all find a new breeding farm or a “good home” beside those who died or were retired then replaced? 42,826 mares were bred in the top ten states in 2008 and 37,373 in 2009. What happened to 5,453 mares? What about displaced and unwanted stallions and mares in bottom states?
February 16th, 2010 at 9:00 am
Too many unqualified stallions under $10,000
February 16th, 2010 at 11:13 am
Joe, check the kill pens. I’m sure you’ll find some of the answer.
February 16th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Tiznowbaby, yes, like the Ben Warren’s stallions given to Chandler, AZ’s Dave Quinn except that these stallions were found and rescued along with dozens of pregnant mares already at Quinn’s feedlot in AZ and awaiting a trip to Mexico.
A few months ago, the horse rescue Thoroughbred Friends in Woodland, CA wrote in its journal that the going rate for feedlot stallions was $600, well above average meat price, and were bought by Mexican rodeos as fighting stallions. Apparently, Mexican rodeos go after smaller horses especially fillies and mares for tripping because they are lighter, shorter, more timid and are more likely to survive multiple trippings.
I can’t help thinking about the Romans and their savage mentality. They found the suffering and killing of animals in coliseums highly entertaining and satisfying. Stallion fighting and tripping are no different.
The end is the same though for stallions and mares: the wounded survivors are shipped to slaughter. TB Friends and foster homes have been rescuing as many horses from Mexican rodeos as they can afford, some are starving and others in horrible shape, crippled for life others unable to survive for long.