Genetically speaking roans don't exist in the TB breed. If the horse lightened with age, it's grey, not roan. The Jockey Club just doesn't want to believe such stuff. It's too technical for them.
Grey is not a color at all, but (genetically) a "modifier." "Grey" causes continued depigmentation of darker colored hair. http://www.equinecolor.com/grey.html

Roan is a color pattern entirely unrelated to grey. A roan is born roan and stays the same (with some variation for winter/summer coats etc.) throught it's life. Roans typically have less roaning (therefore darker coats on) legs and heads. http://www.equinecolor.com/roan.html

Some breeders do look for physical resemblance to a parent to project aptitude. I recall reading about Secretariat's first crop and one of the concerns was that Sec wasn't "stamping" his get. They didn't look like him. It was considered a negative that his offspring bore far more resemblance to their respective dams than to Big Red. Breeders took it as a sign that they wouldn't have near his talent. Interestingly, his first good son, General Assmbly DID look like Sec. Of course Risen Star looked nothing like his sire, so there!

Discreet Cat's brother is entered as an MTO so they clearly are not looking for a grass race for him now.

Same here.

Sunday at Saratoga:

10th (5:56)

1 1/8 Miles | Open | 3 Year Olds And Up Allowance Optional Claiming ($75,000) | Purse: $84,000

Post # Horse Jockey Weight Claim Price Equip. Med.
1 Dr. Pleasure Velasquez C 120 L
2 Discreet Treasure Prado E S 117 L
3 Shekinah Leparoux J R 117 $75,000 L
4 Encanto Dominguez R A 117 L
5 Premium Gold Albarado R J 119 L
6 Squeeze Now Desormeaux K J 120 L
7 Screen to Screen Velazquez J R 117 L
8 Optimistic Steve Espinoza J L 120 L

How many of these runners have the same color as their sires?

Interesting race. i was thinking of this thread and wondering who had the winner.

Dr. Pleasure put in a monster performance if anyone missed it and looks like he might finally live up to the promise he showed a few years back. We will see.

discreet treasure is a slow horse. i don't care if he is purple and poka dotted. of course he went down again at odds on. his half brother wasn't much either. but chumps that think they know racing bet two fisted on him too. i laughed closing day, 1-1, after dr.pleasure dusted him by 12. a horse that was eligible for that race since running in the Travers 2 years ago. it was probably the stupidest fave of the meet! name a horse and call him "discreet" something and they'll bet it. at least one person got it right, that horse is a bet against, but i hope they keep running him so i can make more off him.

:eek: