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Originally Posted by Linny
Sec was sold BEFORE the TC not after. The boom in stud values traces to the early 80's and the opening up of the international market. No one horse or human is responsible but lets face it, since 2000, how many of the "best" 3yo colts have run on at four, at all? Tiznow did, but honestly with his breeding, no one was screaming for him, even after his BC win. Similarly Albert the Great. Of the "classic" colts most retired w/out even finishing their 3yo campaigns. I am not implying that colts like Point Given, FuPeg or Afleet Alex and Smarty Jones were "horses for the ages" but they were leaders in their class who could have provided top quality racing in the 4up division. PG, Alex and Smarty all retired with "injuries" that did NOT preclude racing again.
At some point in the 80's established, successful racehorses with desireable breeding became to valuable to race.
We can only hope that the best colts of the next few years will actually be geldings, or at best modestly bred entire males. It's the best shot we'll have at high class racing for older horses.
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Don't you think that horses like those you mention are most likely going to add to the problem with the breed? Horses that can't even finish their 3YO campaigns are supposed to produce the next crop of horses? The durability of the breed is already in serious jeopardy. Now throw these horses into the mix, that have less than 15 starts (just throwing a general number out there) in their career, and chances are the durability will be weakened even more. Point Given - 13 starts, Smarty Jones - 9 starts, Afleet Alex - 12 starts. Hell, Teuflesberg raced 11 times as a
2YO. At least he seems a like durable animal.