Feature Race | Auction | Breeding | General | Hall of Fame | Harness | Interviews | Mixed Breed | New Players | Racing | Site Updates | Steeplechasing | Steward's Cup | Triple Crown
Retiring to Stud
Original article written by John Smith posted 2 months 0 weeks agoEarly Retirement
On the heels of this week’s Edge, and a series of forum posts in regards to Master of Deception, I felt inspiration strike when talking about retirement in general in the SIM. That is, in real life at least, it would be rare to see graded stakes winning fillies and mares continue running much more than that graded stakes victory. However, Insurance and relatively low injuries in the sim as compared to real life racing, for our enjoyment, these fine females keep strutting their stuff for extended periods of time, quite often. Others however, may just retire at the end of a year in which their possibly well bred filly scores some “black type.”
Either way, looking at the Master of Deception “call,” one could and with now insider tips of how much more that horse could have won, probably asked why was he retired. In real life, the decision probably would have been similar to the one made – retired to a stud career. With an estimated $12 million in stud fee income projected, one can see how this panned out well.
Track success does not equal breeding shed success but it sure looks good for those breeding “trophy,” pedigrees. MOD, seems to be headed for both, with only slight ding in earnings for those who covet that in their pedigrees.
Whatever your take on it, it would seem to me this would have been the decision that more closely mirrors the real life decision had it happened in reality, possibly retired even sooner. With a bit of insider information, MOD seems headed for a successful breeding career as well, so what is $2 million, if $12 million was left on the table? I suppose the argument was the fun of racing him – well, is that worth the $10 million possible difference? I’d say not. If this was real life there’d be no question, but there also may be the same “insider information,” as well. With these bigger performers, breeding syndicates often buy the breeding right before the horse is retired, so let’s just chalk any information one may get from SIM devices as simulated breeding syndicates.
First world problems elevated to emergency levels may leave the rest of us deflated while our best horses may stumble, bumble or get scratched late in races we on which were counting.
I hope one day to have to make that decision, another possible million versus a spin at 12 million and I will proudly defend that problem when/if it comes. Owner and breeder of MOD has been no stranger to scrutiny on the forum – but when you are riding on top, what else would be expected?
Stop getting good horses and no one cares – trust me, no one has found all my Blue hens I have lost in claimers! How could I have done such a thing? Well, now breeding shed comments are available and I got to tell you, it is getting harder to find those hens anymore. I suppose.
I’d take the 12 million, but it was hardly a given when he was retired – even still having even a mediocre DR stallion to mitigate costs while one tries to build mares, can save a lot of dough.
Best of luck to MOD – I will never breed to him, about $60,000 to high for me – maybe I will get one of you all’s auction horses one day, if I am into the bloodline – by then maybe he will either have established himself or not.
Breeding days are here!
John