Hybrids and breeding

[Marzy Dotes]

Hi,

I'm trying to sort out my chasing breeding already. I have a few pure chasers (mostly from CAH types) and some that are like mixed dirt miler/chaser or turf router/miler/chaser type mares. Got a couple I'm trying to breed to have if possible some flat running ability and also chasing ability.

I have my Over and Up mare I Want Tomorrow who I retired, BSed and she's "star" with greatest strength in chasing. She actually did some turf routing before chasing (i.e was "winged"/natural) and both Trafalgar and Tattered came back B+/A- for her. So I might try one of these two crosses. I liked Trafalgar and already bred him to my chaser mare Date and got a "great" galloping filly.

I'm not sure how common this is the way to go and I know there's no guarantee offspring will be good at either one, or both flats and chases.

I find this kind of works with Shadowless (who seems like a very promising chaser sire on top of a dirt miler sire) and I had some luck with Boise on the female side(as my Boise mare had a "green light" as did a Radee mare). I went with Shadowless for the Boise mare to try for a great chaser cross (as the filly galloped "winged") to see what happens.

[Garylynn Farms]

Hybrid breedings have been hit and miss for me in my 3yo crop only one B+/A- nicks turned out to be a natural(by Shadowless). I also have an Over and Up mare who is a Star with Greatest Strength comment. She is going to Born of Summer this year the B+/A nick was to good to pass up. Atleast with the A nick I know I will get a natural out of her.

Synthetic Speed mares pose a challenge for me I have a few two are Star mares who where naturals over the jumps with the GS comment. They will be bred for flat racing with hopes of getting a chaser out of them. I do get a few A- for chasing nicks out of Smile for Em.

[Marzy Dotes]

Thanks for your input! I just started breeding chasers and I had a couple "potentials" that were the first batch and then I have one Shadowless x OTG (B+/A-) cross who was a "wow" and a "natural". I found it hard to pass up "A" crosses especially if they were with "B+" which I did with a couple.

My experiences with Synthetic Speed/Strength so far, so-so though I did get some good A crosses with some chaser studs.

That's cool about the nicks with Smile for Em!

[Madelene Gilbert]

Smile himself didn't get a good chasing training comment, but Show Me That Smile got the "potential dam of steeplechasers" bloodstock comment. I've noticed that he gets some decent chasing hypos from the flat mares I've checked with him, but I breed for AW sprinters first and foremost (rather than hybrids). I don't know how well any hybrid or chasing offspring will actually do, but you're more than welcome to experiment!
His half brother by Hedge also turned 4 this year and might be one to watch for an indication of family chasing talent; I might also try his half sister by Fallen Battle over fences if she tanks on the flat.

[Radical Edward]

I've also got a Boise daughter as a brood who'd done okay at chases - before my time. She was an AJ salvage for me.

[Cleo Patra]

I am making a game out of breeding hybrids! I still tend to get one or the other though. My oldest experimental breeding is Charing Cross. He was a B+/A- cross. His bloodstock comments were:
'Charing Cross' has a whole lot of upside and could end up being a stakes horse one day. It's worth a gamble to purchase this one at the right price.
'Charing Cross' looks like he might be best as a steeplechaser. Good luck!

Matchmaker (B+/A) had the same comments, but her morning works were blistering. She's doing alright on the track so far, but I'd really like to step her up in distance.

Ottomon was a B+/B+ breeding. He got a lucky slide on the flat, but not so much on the chase. We'll see what happens when he starts.
Ottoman' is a really impressive animal. What are you waiting for? Buy! Buy! Buy!

Upsurge is where I finally struck gold. He is a wow gallop, not sure what his cross was though (I sold the mare and her notes had the info >.<)
'Upsurge' is a really impressive animal. What are you waiting for? Buy! Buy! Buy!
'Upsurge' looks like might be best as a steeplechaser. Good luck!"
'Ottoman' definitely has potential over fences - should win a few steeplechase races.

[Marzy Dotes]

Thanks for your responses...and wow Cleo on all those crosses! 8)

I'm doing more experimentation this year as it looks to be a slow year racing wise. It's fun, its distracting and sometimes I get really good results.

Radical Edward, good save on the Boise! I can't wait to see what happens with my Boise/Shadowless cross. She's more of a dirt router and is "formidable" but I'm not really all that much into dirt routing (although I enjoy following it a lot) and thought Boise's probably got something there on the jumping side. I'm curious about my Radee/Throne mare who had a "green light".

My Tremendous Machine mare, Squabble is a SB so don't know her chasing though I think I spotted some A crosses there somewhere. Mostly A-s though. She was a "potential" on her jump test. She's also got a couple A- dirt crosses and B+ on others including those with all weather leanings.

Next year I've got quite a few Shadowless runners turning three so I'm looking forward to jump testing them.

[Tim Matthews]

Warning: General rambling about to ensue
This resulted from an A-/A- (Shadowless x OTG) nick and she turned up scary good. I thought that was a pretty incredible feat. However, in my opinion, I don't think it's generally a good idea to breed "hybrid" steeplechasers/flat racers. I think that most times it will result in a mediocre flat racer and a mediocre jumper, so I would just go for one or the other. Unless, of course, you're in my situation where you have a star broodmare that puts up a freaky nick like the one above.

I just find it so easy to get a flat A nick off of a good steeplechaser mare, that if you breed it to a good flat racer, it just generally isn't as potentially valuable as alternating. Of course, I have no idea what I'm saying, either, so