Tags
lifetime breeding rights, mating for complementary traits, medaglia d'oro, scope and substance, size in the racehorse, spendthrift, warrior's reward
Warrior’s Reward (2006 b by Medaglia d’Oro x For All You Do, by Seeking the Gold)
Spendthrift $15,000
As the first major son of leading sire Medaglia d’Oro retired to stud, Warrior’s Reward attracted more interest than even the average G1 winner of the Carter Handicap would do.
The day I visited Spendthrift to inspect their new stallion prospects, Warrior’s Reward was definitely the primary horse of interest for most of the people visiting the stallions, although the farm sold two lifetime breeding rights to their new Dynaformer horse Temple City. Warrior’s Reward is already closed for that program.
And certainly as a big, scopy horse with more than adequate bone and ruggedness, Warrior’s Reward is an eyeful. The dark bay has nine inches of bone below the knee, and he is a big horse in every respect, standing 17 hands and a bit more.
He has excellent length of rein (shoulder and neck), as well as great length of back and length through the body. There is nothing chopped off or stubby about this horse.
In fact, my primary concern in advising people who breed to him is compensating for his mass. In terms of biomechanics, one of the greatest challenges in matching mares to stallions is finding ones that complement the really big horses that are fairly common in the stallion ranks today.
For instance, it is ill advised to send a light-boned mare to a big, rugged stallion. The breeder is unlikely to get a foal who meets a happy medium between light and heavy bone, and what if he gets one that is heavy topped and light below the knee? Ouch!
But for mares with size and scope, allied with medium bone, Warrior’s Reward may prove to be a most rewarding match.
While I always learn from reading your stallion reviews, if all shares in the breeding rights plan have been subscribed, why report on Warrior’s Reward?
Of course, it may be the terms allow the owners to sell as many more seasons in the open market.
In practical terms for the 2011 season, this review is only a learning exercise. But for those who will be using him next year or the following, this will be of benefit, I hope.
Also, as I understand the concept, the breeding rights only cover about half of the seasons available to the stallion.
It’s encouraging to read about responsible breeding, the ultimate aim being to produce healthy, fit horses with good conformation.
You mean healthy, fit horses with proven (or at least, potentially good) racing blood lines. Conformation is more important to those who breed to sell, and those folks don’t have my best interests in mind (I’m the racehorse owner they’re selling to).
I own a sway-backed 3YO filly with poor conformation who wouldn’t get $1,000 in an auction ring who is going to be 10x the racehorse than some “good conformation!” auction sale who doesn’t have the heart for racing. But she comes from solid blood lines (Prospect Bay over Langfuhr). She’s been training in company every morning recently, and anytime a horse tries to pass her, she pins her ears back and says, “oh heck no” and goes into her next gear.
Conformation, shmonformation. Give me solid bones and good blood lines any day.
You have a Prospect Bay out of a Langfuhr mare? Guess you love that Danzig blood.
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