Raven's Pass, a little what if...
 

Raven's Pass was bred in KY by Stonerside. He began his career for them in Europe. Being sired by a turf miler o/o a Lord At War mare, it looks like they did the smart thing sending the promising colt to a place with a true G1 program for turf milers. He an Henrythenavigator had a nice little rivalry going, like Sunday Silence and Easy Goer.
Now, the what ifs:

1. What if they had kept Raven's Pass in the US?

2. What if Stonerside didn't sell to Darley, would Stonerside have stuck with the Mile?

3. Being by a sire who had a KY Derby winner in his first crop, could Raven's Pass be a dirt horse hiding (in plain sight) on the turf?

I have some ideas...


Discuss...

Hasn't it been clear for quite some time that one of the main reasons the crops racing in the US are weak is that much of our bloodlines have been exported?

Would anyone have considered the possibility that the son of Elusive Quality could have been a US based classic colt? Stonerside didn't. I think they sent him where they did to get G1 turf miles for 3yo's.
I agre that alot of the elite bred horses have gone overseas over the last 25 years but this colt wasn't sold. His US based owners took sent him there.
If his ProRide form were to prove similar on dirt I have to think that he could well have made this a very interesting 3yo crop. (Esp if fellow KY bred Casino Drive had not gone to Japan.)
I don't know if Raven's Pas could have taken Big Brown up to the Preakness but given BB's two subsequent races (and the subsequent dreadful races by Coal Play and Poudinsky) it sure looks like Raven could have been a force in the US 3yo division if he can run on dirt. Bummer he didn't stay here.

I think that had Stonerside not sold to Darley, Raven's Pass would have gone to the Mile. Sheik Mo is more of a risk taker than McNair who would have opted for the Mile to spiff up the colt's sire credentials.

My guess is that Raven's Pass will point to the DWC and finally get to run on dirt. The concern is that if he gets channelled into the "Godolphin" operation, there is no telling what will happen to him.

I didn't have him on Sat but I have followed the Raven/Henry rivalry this year and think that it' too bad that Stonerside sent this one abroad.

The whole idea that Stonerside sent the colt to europe to be campaigned as a turf miler is incredibly presumptious.. Perhaps they send 20 horses a year there and they figured he was standing next to 6 others that were being shipped?

You don't actually think this way....do you?

Are you presuming that operations with branches in several locations or nations alot their stock to various locations at random?
I find it hard to believe that internationally successful operations (Godolphin notwithstanding) assign colts using the eenie-meeny-miney-mo method.

When you have 300 head I seriously doubt the McNair's went over every horse and mapped out a campaign. I dont believe what i wrote happened nor do I seriously believe such great lengths were taken to get the horse somewhere special and into training. The cream typically rises to the top I am sure the trainers they use all would have gotten some very positive results where every the colt was.

I would bet a lot less thought goes into Mott vs. Fabre then you think..

Goldophin could only do better with eenie-meeny-miney-mo method.[/quote]

I'll ask a friend with some connection to Stonerside.
While I doubt it was McNair, I'm fairly sure that at least in the case of many of the horses there is thought given to where each horse will have the best chance to thrive.
I have no idea at what age the homebreds are sent abroad. If they were raised and broken to saddle here, my guess is that those overseeing the process would be involved in deciding which horses went to which division.

I have spoken with some people who have horses with several trainers. They do assess the horses and try to suit them. A delicate filly for example may not stand up to one trainer's regimen but could thrive in another's.