Less bang for your buck

The SIM has a number of outstanding stallions with unreal statistics; from turf router Black Condor to main track sprinter Pincay. But just like the real world, the SIM has also seen its share of disappointments at stud; stallions who failed to emulate their sterling race records and royal pedigrees.

Hemi Cuda: Originally standing on the reputable Dave Shields stallion roster for his breeder, Hemi Cuda is now owned by Mike Prevost. A son of Lost Soldier and a half-brother to three millionaires in Nitro, Chevelle and White Lightening, Hemi Cuda was bred to be a star and ran like it when winning ten of fourteen starts. His career was highlighted by his four-year-old season in which he went undefeated in five starts, landing races like the Desert Golden Sprint (UAE-I) and Steward’s Cup Sprint (gr. I) on his way to North American Champion Sprinter honors. He went to stud with high expectations but has thus far failed to deliver on his earlier promise. Hemi Cuda has a strike rate of 7.4% stakes winners from runners, but his highest earner tops out at a surprisingly low $186,000. In fact, just two of his 148 runners to date have surpassed the $100,000 mark, despite being sent above-average mares. Hemi Cuda stands for $40,000 at Who Dat Farm in Louisiana.

Prefamageps: Bred and owned by the influential Eric Nalbone, Prefamageps himself had much expected of him in the shed. A son of the remarkable stallion Fighting With Wit –the sire of leading sires Saga, Chinese Bandit, and Worth Fighting For—out of a Sunday Silence mare, Prefamageps was precocious enough to win the first four starts of his career. He captured the Wood Memorial (gr. I) and Travers Stakes (gr. I) at three and the following season took the Whitney Handicap (gr. I), Laurel Handicap Championship (gr. I), and Steward’s Cup Classic (gr. I) over a star field that included Accolade and Triple Crown hero Jet Ski. But at stud Prefamageps sired one horse of note, millionaire and grade I winner Prince, while his next highest earner topped out at $259,000. Before being pensioned at his owner’s Dare to Dream Stud in New York, he sired just four other stakes winners from his other 73 foals.

Supreme: Another beautifully bred horse, Supreme had the pedigree to be a star both on the track and in the shed. It is a shame, then, that he is not in either area. A $2.5 million purchase for owner Brianna McKenzie, Supreme is a son of the infamous Loki Dynasty, himself the sire of stars Awake As I Am, Notorious, Boise State Boy, Ramses II and High Flyer. He is out of the once-defeated champion Tiara, who herself landed seven grade I’s and has produced millionaires King and Majesty. Supreme won six times in eighteen starts with his biggest tally coming in the Cigar Mile (gr. I). He would appear then to be a bargain at $5,000, but look again – his strike rate of stakes winners from runners is a tragic 3.9%, with just over 45% winners. His leading earner has amassed over $700,000, though his next highest earner sits at $72,180. Supreme stands for $5,000 at his owner’s Vishtaspa Stables in Florida.

Left Behind: Like Supreme, Left Behind was bred by the Steward though unlike the former he sold for just $4,000 as a yearling. Despite his purchase price, the handsome bay did come from good stock: His sire, Loki Brilliance, was a champion who won ten of fifteen starts and sired another millionaire in Voyeur. The dam, Leaveminthedust, has also produced champion and grade I winner Alone in My Dreams. Left Behind was a classy racehorse, winning the Haskell Invitational (gr. I), Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) and Steward’s Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I). He was a popular first choice as a miler stallion upon retirement, but at age nine has not much to show for it. Left Behind has less than 37% winners from runners, and average earnings of $7,967 per runner. To date, he has not sired a single stakes winner from 80 runners. Left Behind stands for $10,000 at Rivendell Acres in Kentucky.

Royal Moment: As far as disappointments at stud go, few have been bigger than Royal Moment, who is as royally bred as his name would suggest. Bred and owned by longstanding SIM trainer Susie Raisher, he is a son of Horse of the Year Silver Charm who sired nine other millionaires. Royal Moment is out of champion Flanders, who produced six stakes winners. Royal Moment was easily the best of them, winning all thirteen of his starts including the Prince of Peace Stakes (CAN-I), UAE Derby (UAE-I) and Inglewood Futurity (gr. I). As a stallion he left something to be desired, siring just one stakes winner from 62 starters. That lone stakes winner was the only horse to cross the $100,000 mark in earnings, while his second highest earner never even succeeded in breaking his maiden. Today Royal Moment is a pensioner at his owner’s Fox Lair Farm in New York.

Shield: The expectations for Shield, an $8 million yearling auction purchase, were always high. His sire Satelite was undefeated and his blood dominates the sprint breeding industry with several leading, fecund sons including Pincay, Saturn, Villain, Best and Comet. The dam of Shield, the late Brilliancenevafades, produced five other stakes winners. Her grey son by Satelite lived up to his bloodlines by winning seven of ten starts on the track including the Vernon O. Underwood Stakes (gr. I) and Pat O’Brien Handicap (gr. I). But off the track Shield struggled, getting three stakes winners from 58 runners with a winners from starters percentage of 34.5%. His highest earner sits at $140,600 in career earnings, with two others with earnings over $50,000. Now pensioned, Shield lives at owner Sara Kendall’s farm Haras Villa Del Sur in Columbia.

Konstantine: Here is another blue-blooded horse; this one bred by the reputable Robin Tan. Konstantine is a son of the undefeated legend Conduit, himself the sire of leading stallions Loki Dynasty, Feature Attraction, Atlas, Le Dauphin Noir, Tejano Tribute and Tot Ziens. His dam is a legend herself, a member of the Hall of the Fame and a Horse of the Year with five grade I’s to her credit, including a victory over the boys in the Baltimore Crown (gr. I). As a broodmare she produced six other millionaires, including successful stallion Heir to the Throne. Her son Konstantine was a force on the racetrack, winning nine of twelve starts including the Twin Spires Stakes (gr. I) at two and the Donn Handicap (gr. I) at four. But as a stallion he has been far less prominent, siring just five stakes winners from 220 runners. Those five horses are the only ones to breach the $100,000 mark in earnings, and such unimpressive numbers have led to Konstantine’s fee to dwindle to $3,500 at age twelve. Now owned by Bob Allensworth, he stands at Whispering Oaks in Kentucky.

Icon: This son of the once-beaten pair of Priceless Forever and the blue hen Mirror also possesses a storied pedigree. His sire produced twenty –yes, twenty—millionaires at stud and the dam has the remarkable notation of all eight foals becoming millionaires, including popular stallions and Louisville Derby (gr. I) heroes Saga and Braveheart. Icon himself was no slouch, capturing eight of ten outings while landing five grade I’s on both dirt and turf including the Metropolitan Handicap and Maker’s Mark Mile (gr. IT). However unlike his siblings he has failed to leave a mark on the breed. In fact, Icon was surprisingly non-potent, siring just two stakes winners from 103 starters with less than 37% winners. Even his leading earner, five-for-nine Pretty Baby of $336,640, has produced four runners with just one win between them to date. Icon has since been pensioned alongside fellow Dare to Dream Stud pensioner Prefamageps.

Viper: LaDonna King’s homebred colt was a gem of consistency, finishing first or second in ten of twelve lifetime starts. He counted among his victories the Midsummer Classic (gr. I), Arcadia Handicap (gr. I) and Lexington Stakes (gr. II), while running against such household names as Loki Dynasty, Prefamageps, Atlas and Saga. Like Prefamageps, Viper’s sire was the premier stallion Fighting With Wit, who sired a trio of leading sires in Saga, Worth Fighting For and Chinese Bandit. Viper’s dam is Really Excellent, a four-time grade I-winning Real Quiet mare who has produced five other millionaires in Marked Improvement, Vampire, Stealth, Lighting A Candle and Loki Angel. But despite such fertile bloodlines Viper himself has been a disappointment at stud, getting 32% winners from runners and two stakes winners from 50 runners, with one of those stakes wins coming at restricted Trial Park. He currently stands at his owner’s The Finish Line Farm in Kentucky for $1.