Deschutes

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Laura Smith
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Location: BC, Canada

Deschutes

Post by Laura Smith »

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Her daughter Rogue already has her own thread in this forum, but her dam is maybe even more special to me (if that's possible) and as she advances further and further into old age (and as I just laid out a cool eight mil to save her life for one more year) I wanted to celebrate her a bit.

I bought her dam from Cleo for three-quarters of a mil and it was the best money I've ever spent in the SIM. She threw three SWs for me before Deschutes, and meaningfully, produced G1 winner Festivus the year after for our dear Scott Eiland. But it was Deschutes that would leave a lasting impact on my barn, and on the turf sprint division as a whole.

Deschutes (whose namesake is the Bend, OR brewery of the same name) was more than useful on the track, a G1 winner as a 2YO who went on to score several more graded wins, despite being a couple steps below the best. She was one of two nice fillies I had at the time, and in all honesty I thought the other was was better, both as a racehorse and as a broodmare prospect. It came as a surprise, then, when I was negotiating a lease deal with Em and she asked for Deschutes specifically. I mean, that's always a good sign, but I didn't know how good... yet.

She retired after her 4YO season, at the same time as my "big horse" at the time, Gentle Touch. I had had their breeding planned for a couple of seasons and was honestly expecting a good-but-not-great outcome, as GT had a bit of an unfashionable pedigree at that time (how things change!) but I desperately wanted to give him every chance in the world. His hypo with Deschutes was the first hypo for either of them and I was thrilled to see an A-, honestly much more than I had been expecting, as A-'s weren't a dime a dozen as they're starting to be these days.

I kept hypoing. A. A. A. A. A-. A-. This was totally unprecedented, in my world, and more than 50 hypos later, I'm still convinced that she's the best hypoing mare in the division. I'm sure I'll never get this information, but I would love love LOVE to know what her numbers are like (maybe after she pensions I can get a hint?!! Pretty please?) because I've never seen anything like her in hundreds of blue hens and stars. 25 flat As. Another 25 or so A-'s. In fact, I've never noticed this before just now, but every TS I've hypoed her with is an A- or better (also Epaulette, who I was always curious to send her to but never wanted to use up a whole year in doing so...) Her only B+ and worse are with non-TS dominant horses (B+ to Saxon Warrior. Flat B to Stab Thru the Hart. Etc.)

But I'm always the one on the forum being cranky about people putting too much stock in hypos, so we can talk about her actual babies, who I decided to name with beer-themed names, in keeping with hers. I did break my own rule with Northern Avenger, and the lessees' foals weren't thematically named, obviously, but I've done pretty well.
Altogether, of her 11 foals to gallop, seven are stakes or better, with at least two and almost definitely four being freaks (I don't regallop my racing-age horses, but you can't tell me that a TS who bangs out 90+ SFs multiple times in a row isn't a freak.)

That first Gentle Touch filly was the almighty Rogue (Newport, OR brewery) who needs no introduction.
Rogue was among the best TS ever seen, in her day (and maybe still now?) and is responsible for champions Swindler (second in the Chimbo and already a stakes producer) and Juxtapose (SC-winning freak, named for the delicious IPA I was drinking when Rogue won the SC) as well as a graded-winning 3YO of this year.

My Compliments was Deschutes' lease baby for Em and was a G1 winner herself before retiring and producing five SWs from six to race, including freak juvenile Ahtohallan.

A couple of leases later, I decided never to lease her again -- not because the lease experiences were bad (quite the opposite) but because I finally realized that she was way too valuable to my own barn to use as leverage in mare deals. I do wish the leases had gone better for Nikki, Pete and Regina -- they weren't useless horses, by any means, but they weren't what I would have hoped that my friends would get.

I was a big fan of Aerovelocity and I knew that I had to get Deschutes in to him before he pensioned; I was just in time, and the result was Mosaic (named for one of my favourite hops.) She galloped stakes, and I had high hopes for her, but after she took three tries to break her maiden and subsequently remained eligible for NW3 conditions through the middle of her 3YO season, I had minimal expectations for her racing career and was simply hoping that she'd be a useful broodmare. SHe suddenly put her big-girl pants on, though, and went on to win five graded stakes vs. males over the next year and a half.

By this time, it was obvious that my man Strong and Free was going to be a big freakin' deal, and I knew that the foal from this mating was going to be special to me, even if it was useless on the racetrack. I got incredibly lucky and the foal was incredibly special. It was Northern Avenger (named for an album by Vancouver punk legends DOA.) This horse is my favourite thing in the SIM; he's won five G1s now, including an ultra-game win in the Desert on Friday, and I have so much hope for him as a stallion that I'm almost nervous to talk about it. Considering retirement this year... but we'll have to wait and see.

So it was straight back to Strong and Free the next season (hmm, the Gentle Touch line is some kinda good nick with this mare, eh?) to produce Vice and Virtue (named for a fantastic little brewery in Kelowna, BC.) She was a G1 winner as a juvenile and is trying to get her mojo back after a couple of rough outings.

The two-year-old Superflux (Vancouver brewery) still has room to improve, and yearling Backcountry (yes, another brewery, this one in Squamish, BC) is a freak, and I'm curious to see whether he'll have any ability at other distances because of his sire. I won't be surprised or disappointed if he doesn't, as Deschutes' side is hardcore TS, but still, neat stuff.

Which brings us to this year. Deschutes is 15. I've been paying for her to survive foaling ever since it was an option. After last year's $4m price tag, I told myself that was it. That I'd breed one last one this season, save my money, and play the odds that she might make it out alive just one more time. As this season went on, I realized that I just couldn't do it to myself, not yet. This morning, I bit the bullet, bred her one more time to See You Monday (her first try with him was not great, but hopefully just a bad slide) and ponied up the eight mil for her to keep on keepin' on for one more season...
Interestingly enough, SYM, who more often than not hypos a full level better than the next-best sires, is still "only" a flat A with Deschutes. I've actually never seen a TS A+ and am curious if anyone else has... not that many people will read this far through my fangirl ramblings.

So here we are. I just wanted to shed some light on how amazing this mare is, how grateful I am for her, and what a stable-maker she's been for me. Thanks for reading. :)
Last edited by Laura Smith 3 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
LONG OVERDUE FARM: Keepin' it Canada since Year 16.
Stallions to meet your every need. As long as you need a turf sprinter.
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Katie Stepanian
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Re: Deschutes

Post by Katie Stepanian »

Well I read it all and really enjoyed hearing about her. She is so special. Very inspiring! 😊
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Rochelle Bos
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Re: Deschutes

Post by Rochelle Bos »

Love love love!!! 🥰
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Darcy McBride
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Re: Deschutes

Post by Darcy McBride »

I don't even run TS; but thoroughly enjoyed reading about Deschutes and her family. A lineage to be proud of, Laura!
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The Steward
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Re: Deschutes

Post by The Steward »

I freaking love this family, so fun!
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Andrew James
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Re: Deschutes

Post by Andrew James »

fun read, your prose is super enjoyable Laura. Really cool family, hope the SYM foal works out for you.
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Laura Smith
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Re: Deschutes

Post by Laura Smith »

Thanks for the kind words, guys! <3
LONG OVERDUE FARM: Keepin' it Canada since Year 16.
Stallions to meet your every need. As long as you need a turf sprinter.
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Laura Smith
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Re: Deschutes

Post by Laura Smith »

Deschutes' granddaughter Juxtapose worked 2f in 22.21 this week, the fastest 2f on turf ever run in a race or a workout. LOVE.
LONG OVERDUE FARM: Keepin' it Canada since Year 16.
Stallions to meet your every need. As long as you need a turf sprinter.
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Rochelle Bos
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Re: Deschutes

Post by Rochelle Bos »

ZOOM!
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• Ship your horse to any Kingswood Location
• Sell your horse to Rochelle Bos for $0


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Art K Stables
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Re: Deschutes

Post by Art K Stables »

Great story Laura , and I think the Q&A with em everyone should listen to, gives at least a peek what’s goin on and everyone who feels you aren’t doing so well would benefit moreso, tremendous runners in that family gotta love it! But you also asked a good question , has there ever been an A+ hypo?
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