I have had three. One colt turned gelding and 2 fillies. The colt had some talent but his prior trainer basically gave up on him and said to send him to me, that maybe I could do something with him. He got hurt 3 times due to be ing crazy, finally ran and finished a good second then refused to train and ran bad before being sent back to farm. The fillies were both mean as hell and neither could run a little. Now I realize that this is a small sample but I have heard similar from other trainers.

Speaking of FuPeg and craziness, I know some of you might remember my mentioning Sky Pegasus awhile back.. Laurie had to geld him--he was being downright nasty and I'm sure only part of it was the intact part of him from his cryptorchid days. They figured his charging at people was not a good habit to have but I'm beginning to wonder if the gelding will improve his personality. Other horses I'd think about it more but a FuPeg? Could be irreversible. SP's female family was interesting but he had FuPeg pasterns and just put her in a position she had to deal with it rather than let him pass anything on. He simply couldn't justify remaining a stallion.

Someone tried to buy him off her for a regional market out West I think and were being so weird about it she said no. I mean for one thing he really didn't deserve to serve as anybody's stallion prospect just yet plus Laurie said something seemed off about the whole thing. There's no telling what might've happened to him in a less solid owner's hands.

It certainly doesn't help matters when his most high profile Derby contender this year (Ravel) goes on the shelf with a leg issue.
He has sired a couple G1 winners in Bandini and Roman Ruler, and I don't think I would classify him as a complete failure, but given the quality of the mares he has covered, he has not exactly been spectacular.
There is an unraced 3yo filly named Tranquility that is by FuPeg and out of an Unbridleds Song mare. What do you think the odds are that that filly is sound? Slim to none would be my guess.

This is so puzzling to me. It really is. That one can work each day with horses that are lazy as sin, ones that are smart as can be, ones that are dumber than a bucket o dirt, and ones that too, are crazy.

Its worrisome as sin I know, yet its fascinating to read about.

Can you tell more about what shows when a horse "refuses to train." His actions, etc, (or lack thereof). And possibly the crazy ones. Or you could discuss each, that would be even better.

This should probably be another thread, but either way, quite interesting stuff.

i like him alot

i dont understand though, fupeg was high tempered himself, so wouldnt you almost expect this ?

probably not unexpected--but also not worth the trouble if they don't have the ability to pay their way! fupeg was talented and a winner, makes it a bit easier to deal with the bull.

His price is just too high for what you get. Most of the colts have to be gelded and his percentages are quite low. That being said if he were $25k, it might be worth a shot at getting a filly for broodmare purposes.

Not necessarily. Plenty of thoroughbreds are high-strung and not all of them pass that trait on in a negative manner.

FuPeg was not a real "trier." When he was winning he looked like a superstar but when he was not winning he never appeared to apply himself. He had a big loafing way of running that made him look like he was running within himself but he ran the same way when he was challenge. Re-watch the Preakness. He simply never responded. He had no will to will.
I'd rather have a moderately bred horse that gets some heart from the parents than an overbred beast that doesn't seem to care about winning the game.
I'm told that the Giant's Causeway's are a bit flakey as well. They don't seem to uniformly inherit their dad's will to win.

It might be worth noting that MOST colts SHOULD be gelded. No less an eminence than Alfred G Vanderbilt once said that if he'd gelded every colt he ever owned he'd have only made 1 mistake. That mistake would have been Native Dancer.

Just think if this applied to humans! :eek:

funny, i have some employees who fit those descriptions!

I handicap races with this in mine and don't give them alot of my money. Real easy to bet aginst in maiden races.

He would rear, prop, freeze or bolt pretty much without warning. This was well after he had been gelded. Somtimes getting after them can do the trick but sometimes it makes them worse. Some horses are labeled crazy when they are just studdish or mean. Crazy to me is when one gives very little indication of what or when a horse is going to do something out of the norm. Sometimes horses that act mean are just sore and as such horses by stallions with questionable soundness are more apt to be mean/sour/sore.

Fupeg had a lot of issues. Drysdale did an amazing job getting him to race as well as he did.

Absoluyely right, Drysdale patience and conservativeness really paid off
when he trained FuPeg.

On the opposiste side, Officer was a laid back horse, so easy-going that the exercise rider could stop to chat with a friend and Officer just stood like a cowpony waiting for them to finish. He, too, was somewhat lacking in the fight-back-when challenged department, but at least he had a good disposition to pass on along with his physical gifts.