Tabby Back in Foal; And Maybe a New Home

Nearly three months after giving birth to her first foal by Eastwood Dacat, Tabby Lane is in foal again.  This time to multiple graded stakes winner Doneraile Court. 

The mating with Eastwood Dacat was designed to combine his natural speed with her capacity to get a mile, mile and 1/16 – get some speed into the distance.

The families nicked relatively well at the time of the breeding – a solid A according to E-Nicks, a B according to True Nicks (even the nickers can’t agree!!).  However nicks change over time as families develop and mature and more results are stirred into the mix and little George is now the product of a C with the True folks, though I haven’t checked again with the Werk people.

In my opinion nicking isn’t the be all, end all of breeding.  The horses have to match what you’re trying to accomplish first and foremost and, in their case, the injection of speed to Tabby’s stamina is what we were trying to accomplish.  I probably wouldn’t have continued with a C, to be honest, but little George is a beautifully conformed little fella and if he can run as well as he is put together…

Now the thought process involved in putting together Tabby and Doneraile was a bit different.  This time it was joining two that were successful doing the same thing – Doneraile obviously more than Tabby – and try and build a better version.

Doneraile’s two graded stakes wins, the Nashua and the Jerome, were both at a mile.  In fact, four of his six career wins were at a mile with the other two being at 7 furlongs and a mile and a sixteenth.  Of Tabby’s 10 wins, 7 came between 7 furlongs and a mile and 40 yards.  She liked to come from off the pace while he had some early speed and had some gate to wire wins on his resume.  Together I thought these two matched up very, very well.

We ran the nick report next (never lead with that – in my opinion – but let it be a bit of a barometer) and True Nicks came back with an A++ nick.  All the stars are aligning with this one, I can feel it.

Thanks to the persistence and patient handling of the folks at Dove Hill Reproduction in New Prague, MN Tabby is confirmed in foal as of June 5.  This means conception was late May and will give us an April 2015 foal.

Us.  Maybe it will be us, but I doubt it.  We’re being pulled in too many directions and it’s clear that racing is my first love and where I need to concentrate my efforts.  To that end, Tabby Lane and her foal to be are for sale.  I’ll listen to all offers but don’t call me with nonsense either – we’ll just keep her in that case!  I’m absolutely open to creativity and am clearly amenable to a discount as long as we’re listed as a co-breeder.

This is obviously a passive announcement but she will be actively marketed shortly.  I love her dearly and will miss her horribly, but business is business and it’s time to focus.