WOW! My first TB(non-steeplechase)freak!

[Andrea Bouwkamp]

So, despite having my statistically best year, I was content with not having any Steward’s Cup runners. I continued training some untraced 2 and 3 yr olds.
Upon galloping a 3yo dirt filly, I was shocked.
Try Later For Hope
Question though:how reliable are TB freaks? I have had plenty mixers but this is new territory for me.

[Carole Hanson]

Dirt router freaks are tricky. If they’re the lower end of freak they’re no better than a stakes really but if they’re mid/top end they’re certainly something to get excited about! Mind you, dirt routers are so full of freaks that even the beastly ones find it hard to win everything, it’s just such a deep division.

That being said, congrats on breeding a dirt route freak, they’re not easy to breed when you don’t have deep blue hen lines!

ETA: Just noticed I bred her grand-dam! That’s super cool!

[The Harlequins]

Great foresight on the naming Andrea

[Andrea Bouwkamp]

Dirt router freaks are tricky. If they’re the lower end of freak they’re no better than a stakes really but if they’re mid/top end they’re certainly something to get excited about! Mind you, dirt routers are so full of freaks that even the beastly ones find it hard to win everything, it’s just such a deep division.

That being said, congrats on breeding a dirt route freak, they’re not easy to breed when you don’t have deep blue hen lines!

ETA: Just noticed I bred her grand-dam! That’s super cool!

I think I bought her grand-dam in one of your sales because she was a Blue Hen. I didn’t get any decent runners from her but a couple producing fillies.
I don’t expect much. I just hope she wins a few races and that she surprises me. Her workouts suggest she might be a low level Stakes or a very competitive Allowance filly. I would be happy with that.

[Andrea Bouwkamp]

Great foresight on the naming Andrea

I know! She galloped Allowance the first time, then improved to stakes and now freak. I think I better run her soon.

[Stormy Peak]

Congrats on getting a T-bred freak : )
I've only had a few...and some of my best T-breds only galloped stakes, but were beating some of the freaks in the game. So, yeah, even within a certain talent, there are upper and lower levels. Unfortunately it seemed like with almost every one of my mix-breed freaks...they ran more like horses that barely made into an allowance level. And that is one of the reasons why I'm really cutting back on my mix breed numbers inside my racing barn.

I found with the T-breds, at least the turfy ones, a stakes horse or a freak...seems to run accordingly. Almost all of them did well. I've had a few...very few...stakes types that could barely win a non graded stakes, but for the most part, I've been happy with the results of seeing a stakes horse perform like one. And this year... all my freaks have been running like it.

Carole mentioned the dirt freaks being a little tricky. I don't know much about dirt horses, but I bred one on a whim and got a dirt router Freak. *I had to pick my jaw up off the floor when I saw that...my stable ... my turfy loaded stable has a dirt router freak...that I bred... lol... I'm still a little stunned by it.

Now I'm trying to figure out what to do with him...lol I know all the turf races that lead up to other turf races I want my horses to be in, but I need to get familiar with the dirt schedule. I'm going to try to aim him for the Derby...the Triple next year but don't want to accidentally run him in a stake race the week before the Derby or do something dumb like that for any of his other big races, if he turns out to be a real freak.

Based upon the information I have about his dam... he might be a marathoner type...and the 1 1/16 distances might not be to his liking, but he's still performing pretty good right now as a 2 year old and better yet he's very sound and a progressive type - so he should get even better as he gets old enough to run in those longer races as a 3 and 4 year old.

ALOFT
~Out of sheer curiosity I did run him in a mile race his first time out...and he finished 3rd. (I only did this as he was Very Sound and would recover in time for his first route race)
~Next race in a maiden route, he won
and his 3rd time on the track in a non-graded stakes he came in 2nd.
~He's running tomorrow in a Grade 1....hoping he will do well in that race, of course. But again, it's 1 1/16 and from what I know if his dam...The Steward said she would probably like 19 mile long races..lol.

I hope with your horse, Try Later For Hope, you will have as much fun as I am having in learning about the dirt routers. I also hope you do get a real freaky freak. Just keep an eye out for those nominations so you don't forget to get into those big races, and look far enough into the schedule so you don't mess up getting into the really big races.

Stormy

[Rochelle Bos]

Congrats!!!

[Nini Panini]

In my experience, DR freaks can be pretty hit or miss. They're not always reliable. Freaks are not all created equal. Some are at the top of their class and you can run them anywhere knowing they fit - these are your Triple Crown and SC caliber horses. Some need more strategizing regarding race placement; they won't be amazingly competitive at the very highest level and instead excel elsewhere, but they can still pick up a piece of the purse sometimes in those big races. Others can struggle to win a nonstakes race. I recently had a filly who was off the board in NW2s multiple times. I sponsored her a state bred NW2, thinking that'd finally do the trick. Nope. Off the board.

Of course, no horse is black and white, and anything can happen. The above is by no means set in stone.

There's no way of knowing where your horse fits until you race her, but in the meantime, congratulations! It's awesome to breed a freak, especially in TBs, as they're pretty elusive. It's an accomplishment for sure, and I hope your girl wins you lots of money and is the dam of future stars to come!

[Darcy McBride]

I am sure I would fall over if I ever actually bred a DR TB Freak!! Congrats, y'all!

[Andrea Bouwkamp]

Well, she ran her first race and won with a nice SF. I will run her through conditions before I attempt a higher level. If she totally dominates, then I will go for stakes company.