Gelding Time in my Racing Barn

[Tammy Fox]

Finally made the decision to geld several of my racing colts in my barn. I have been holding back because of breeding shed comments and such but I have had enough of them not earning their keep(Yes, they are sons of top stallions and such, not just unthought out breedings). I decided today to just be honest with myself as I looked at each horses performance and if they were not performing where I wanted them to then they were gelded. I had several horses that were great as 2 or 3yos but then starting slacking as 3yo or 4yo. Plus several have peaked at allowance and honestly they can't even when a claimer race so it was time. Maybe now these new geldings will bring home some money to me instead of me holding on to false hope that they can earn that 350K within the next couple of sim years. I know I gelded a standardbred who was okay and now he is bringing home more money than he did before he was gelded(he is actually placing in listed stakes racing and his speed did improve). Hoping these new arabian geldings along with a few standardbred geldings will do a nice turn around and start doing better even if only at an allowance level.
Debating on going through my yearlings and 2yo arabians and gelding any that are peaked at allowance because I don't expect to see them running 100 speed index, maybe 90 or so if I am lucky.

How many of you geld yearlings that are allowance or better (I get gelding anything below allowance) and what do you look at as far as workout times to determine if these colts will have the speed and talent to be competitive at the level they are at without gelding?

[Anthony Zappulla]

I gelded a 2yro Stewards cup champion right after he won, so that's how I feel about gelding

[Tammy Fox]

Sounds like you are good with gelding. I will not geld ones that are showing any potential or promise but if they are an allowance-peak that cannot win an allowance race then its time to geld.
Now, I admit I probably would not geld a steward's cup winner since they may be of some use as a stud in the future if I have the mare's to support them and they are not the longer career type which so far all the longer careers I have worked hard to get to 350K have disappointed me with the way they hypo, so I have an easier time gelding those longer career colts than I do the breeding shed ones.

[Anthony Zappulla]

Agreed I wouldn't take my advise, just sharing

[Nick Gilmore]

I gelded a freak…5 year old dr, was a stake LB yearling, turned freak as a 3 year old and his lone stake victory was at 1 1/16. His 5 year old earnings hasn’t broken $300 k…you bet your a** I gelded. And if his attitude doesn’t improve, I’ll pension him too.

[Tammy Fox]

LOL, sounds like something I would do. I know some people wait until 4 to geld to see if they can get close to that magical 350K mark and others will just retire a horse that is close to the the 350K mark in hopes that his breeding numbers will offset the penalty of not getting to 350K which I am guessing 99.9% of the time the breeding numbers don't offset the penalty as I call it.

[Tammy Fox]

I remember a long time ago when I started the sim, you were given an incentive to geld colts. I can't remember if it was $3000 or $1500, if you gelded a colt. That was before gallop comments like you have now and all the current features you have now. I am sure it was used to help increase bank rolls back in that time but it sure did cut down on not so great colts being sent to stud. Back then, we were even asking for a spay mare button to give our lackluster filly performers a boost.

[Kelly Haggerty]

I geld pretty quick, and have yet to regret it. There just aren't that many that make the earnings and then hypo well, too.