Bluegrass Cat Retired
 

You know, I always cheered for this horse. Really not sure as to why but there was something about him that intrigued me. But he was a good horse that was in the shadows of Barbaro and Dini. He is going to stand at WinStar Farm for $50k. Good luck Cat.

I thought they already announced this... am I losing it or what? :confused:

Cigar was retired too. I, for one, am shocked.

You aren't losing it. He got hurt at Saratoga and was retired.

Euro, he was retired in August. Did you bump your head.

It was announced after the Travers but breeding plans just finalized. I should of made a better title for the thread.

You can do better for $50K IMO....he was fragile like most Storm Cats and he never won against the best....I like the horse though.....

I dont understand all the fuss over Storm Cat and his offspring. They are fragile and they have distance limitations. And I agree, you can do much better than $50k.

he was a Storm Cat that could get the distance. that made him very appealing and at times spectacular. unfortunately he never had the chance to race more.

I always wondered what the deal was with them running front wraps on Bluegrass Cat for the Travers. First time front wraps. Not a good sign. Not like Pletcher was trying make other trainers guess in a nickel claimer or something.

When I saw the early fractions in the Travers I knew it was trouble. A healthy BC would have run better than that. Comes out of it with a fracture. Something sure doesn't add up with that picture.

Thankfully he survived it. And good for him that he's getting $50k. If his offspring are as game as he was we have something to look forward to.

50k? a lil much don't ya think?

Yeah, it probably is a little high for a horse that only ever won one G1 race.

But he could POTENTIALLY be a great stallion. Yes he's a Storm Cat, but examine the bottom half of his pedigree too. Look at his dam....She's A Winner.
She is by AP Indy and out of a graded stakes winning daughter of Mr. P. In addition to Bluegrass Cat she has already produced another multiple Graded stakes winner out of only 3 offspring to hit the track. That is a pretty nice pedigree.
I guess in today's breeding industry the big question is.....if you have a stallion like BC that is by Storm Cat and out of an AP Indy mare.....who are you going to breed the horse too? Are there any mares out there anymore that aren't closely related to one or both of these two horses?

You know stud fees are a little out of control when this horse starts at $50k

i think 50k is steep. a lot of well bred horses out there. but i guess they have a lot of interest so they feel they can charge that fee.
storm cat is so popular because he backs up the hype, a lot of success over the years from him. he's not standing for 500k for nothing!

but....there are a lot of good horses out there for that price. do you go for proven, or for some storm cat magic??
as for mares to breed to--they're out there.

i thought it was out of control when ghostzapper started for 200k!

Nothing Frank S does is surprising

just more fad breeding, to sell...and underperform on the track

[quote=todko]I always wondered what the deal was with them running front wraps on Bluegrass Cat for the Travers. First time front wraps. Not a good sign. Not like Pletcher was trying make other trainers guess in a nickel claimer or something.

QUOTE]

In his last work before the Travers he probably ran down up front, getting off the hind leg that was bothering him that he ended up with a broken pastern in. Too bad Pletcher didn't put 2 and 2 together. Or maybe he did but kept on pushing. Not surprised if that's the case.

[quote=Blue Eyes]Yeah yeah yeah, He doesn't know anything about problems or training, thats why he wins the races he does.
This is so tiresome its silly. Guys constantly lobbing grenades at someone who works hard and is successful.

[quote=oracle80]
Maybe you need to re-read my post. Especially the 2nd to last sentence. That's my take on the situation. Most trainers try to figure out why a horse is running down where it usually doesn't run down. I'm sure Pletcher knew. He also knew the horse was heading to the shed soon too. What? You think those front wraps were for ankle support???:rolleyes: What's your reason for them? You think Pletcher just wanted to see what BC would look like with socks?
BTW, do you really think Pletcher worked hard to get where he's at? He walked out of Waynes barn and had horses waiting for him. Yeah, that's real tough. And I've seen how Lukas' assistants work. The only thing they worry about is hearing Wayne scream at them every now and then. I've seen outfits ten times tougher to work for than his.

i remember another race, another horse with first time front wraps. trainer said it was just a little extra precaution. horse ran a heck of a race that day, won it easily. that's when azeri won the distaff at arlington en route to horse of the year honors.

[quote=Blue Eyes]
Lemme tell you something. Todd is not only very smart and a master at his craft, but very professional as well.
Ever deal with him on anything? He as professional as they come. Lemme guess, if you had his stock you would do even better, and hes just lucky, blah blah blah. What a joke.

There is no doubt Pletcher knows his craft -- period. On the other hand, several people who sit near me in Saratoga immediately noticed the front wraps as did I. Tom Amello and Nick Kling spoke about it the next day and I know Tom picked up on it instantaneously because he came right over to me and said something.

Sure it was a sign but to draw a straight line from one to the other, that's a huge reach as far as I am concerned.

Eric

i wonder how many jumped off his bandwagon when they saw them??? i bet not nearly as many as those who brought up the front wraps after they found out about the fracture. easy to look smart when the outcome is known!!:rolleyes:
i don't recall anyone on here commenting at or after race time about his wraps, only the next day when the news came out....ah, hindsight. always 20-20.

[quote=oracle80]
Lemme tell you something, I never said the man wasn't a good trainer. He trains just like his mentor. Hard. He gets results for his owners. Win. No owner wants to lay a horse up for 9 months. Lukas rarely lays a horse up. Same goes for Pletcher. Strike while the iron is hot, cause when it comes back from off the farm you're gettin' it back luke warm most the time. They know that's the case so they don't bother with the lay ups.
BTW, "rumor" is that BC did run down in his left front before his last race (don't know if in a work or his race before). Does anyone remember which hind leg was injured? I don't remember, (didn't pay much attention), but my guess would be diagonal from front left - right hind.

[quote=Blue Eyes]Everyone knows it was the right hind.
And excuse me for finding it hard to believe that you didn't pay attention to this, while paying such in depth attention to every other aspect of the situation.

[quote=Blue Eyes]In addition Todd lays up many horses, and his win % is extremely high in those situations.

[quote=oracle80]Actually, I don't/didn't pay much attention. Honestly, I didn't really follow BC and could only tell you one race that he won. (That's how much I paid attention to him.)

[quote=oracle80]Name me some of his returning stakes winners. I don't pay attention to his horses.

[quote=Blue Eyes]You don't pay attention yet you are an encyclopedia on Bluegrass cat and exactly what his problems were?
Pardon me for finding that funny.

[quote=oracle80]Name me some of his returning stakes winners.

[quote=Blue Eyes]How do you mean returning? Won a stakes race off the layoff? Or were laid up and then eventually won another stakes race?
Go Deputy springs to mind off the top of my head.
And thats a phony stat anyway. Only geldings are brought back much at all.
Any horse with an injury who is worth anything as a broodmare or stallion is retired by real owners.
WHo lays one off who is STAKES CALIBER IN THE FIRST PLACE and brings them back to race after an injury? Can you name any of THOSE????

[quote=Blue Eyes]Balto Star, Forest Danger, Left bank, Go Deputy, Willard Straight, West Virginia, Speightstown, and Smoke N Frolic all won stakes races after being given long layoffs. All trained by Todd. Happy now?

[quote=oracle80]the hapless flower alley won his first back after a long layoff....

[quote=Danzig188]Him too. What she said.

I jumped right off seeing the wraps. And to see the fractions in that race leads me to believe the horse wasn't right to begin with. Despite the wraps, he didn't look good on any other criteria also.

And I wasn't part of this forum on that day. If I was, you would have sure heard about it from me -- before he was beaten by the supposed superhorse.

Frankel runs Leriod with bar shoes to pick up a place check in the BC mile last year. Knows the horse has a foot injury but he and NYRA play the game and dupe the bettor. That horse should have been scratched or run for purse only. That was an ugly thing to do to the bettor. And you're saying the same thing couldn't have been done with Bluegrass Cat in the Travers?

Wake up and smell the coffee. Or if you can't smell the coffee, then smell the money being passed under the table.

[quote=oracle80]Thanks. Now tell me what they were laid up for and how long.:p AND what races did they end up winning AFTER their lay up.

[quote=todko]I jumped right off seeing the wraps. And to see the fractions in that race leads me to believe the horse wasn't right to begin with. Despite the wraps, he didn't look good on any other criteria also.

And I wasn't part of this forum on that day. If I was, you would have sure heard about it from me -- before he was beaten by the supposed superhorse.

Frankel runs Leriod with bar shoes to pick up a place check in the BC mile last year. Knows the horse has a foot injury but he and NYRA play the game and dupe the bettor. That horse should have been scratched or run for purse only. That was an ugly thing to do to the bettor. And you're saying the same thing couldn't have been done with Bluegrass Cat in the Travers?

Wake up and smell the coffee. Or if you can't smell the coffee, then smell the money being passed under the table.[/QUOTE]

AMEN!! Thanks Todko.;) God Forbid Pope Pletcher does any of that!!:D

[quote=Blue Eyes]well i know left bank came back, set a record in the tom fool...and won top older horse--sadly it was a posthumous honor, since colic claimed him...