Putting Some Perspective On I'll Have Another Going to Japan

Last week it was announced that Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner I'll Have Another is going to Japan for his stud career. While the news was predictably followed with dismay, there were also many hateful comments such as "He'll just suffer the same fate Ferdinand did" among others (to learn about Ferdinand's story, click here) so I did a little research on some of the top stallions in Japan and how many are directly connected to the United States.

(Thanks to Tachyon from Thoroughbred Champions for the list)
9. Victoire Pisa(USA) (Neo Universe) (Shadai) 3,500,000 (43,750)- raced outside the US
11. Empire Maker(USA) (Unbridled) (JBBA) 3,000,000 (37,500)- Won Belmont, Wood, Florida Derby
12. Kurofune(USA) (French Deputy) (Shadai) 3,000,000 (37,500)- not raced in US
13. Conduit(IRE) (Dalakhani) (Big Red Farm) 3,000,000 (37,500)- Won BC Turf twice
16. Johannesburg(USA) (Hennessy) (JBBA) 3,000,000 (37,500)- Raced mostly in Europe but won BC Juvie
19. Symboli Kris S(USA) (Kris S) (Shadai) 2,500,000 (31,250)- not raced in US
 
As you can see from the above list, out of the top 21 stallions in terms of stud fees, five are U.S.-breds and one more made history here with his two Breeders' Cup wins. 

In addition, the best stallion in Japanese history, Sunday Silence was a U.S. bred and won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, the Breeders' Cup Classic, etc. My first post on this blog also showed even more Triple Crown race winners that have spent time in Japan.

It should also be noted that a buy-back clause to bring stallions back from international destinations should they no longer be wanted is also a normal procedure these days. The horse will also be checked on at least annually by Three Chimneys staff (farm where I'll Have Another's sire Flower Alley stands) when they visit their office in the country and check on other horses over there, such as Silver Charm.

Yes, losing another good horse to Japan isn't ideal for fans who wanted to visit the horse but it's almost guaranteed that I'll Have Another will get more quality mares there than he would here. It is also extremely doubtful the colt will end up in a slaughter house if he is unsuccessful.

Japan has MANY United States stakes winners and even Eclipse winners in their country now. While they can't be monitored as closely by fans as they could in the United States, there is little doubt that I'll Have Another will not suffer at the hands of the country. 

If fans want something to complain about when it comes to the Derby winner, they would be much better off pointing their anger somewhere else, because after looking at "Big Red Farm's" website, I'll Have Another will be living in a luxury that most humans can only dream of.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Impact of El Prado

Image
When El Prado (Sadler’s Wells) was imported to the United States after being purchased from Coolmore by Frank Stronach in the early 1990s, very few breeders were willing to give El Prado a shot.  "No one wanted a son of Sadler’s Wells in America,” Dermot Carty, who bought the horse for Stronach, told Blood-Horse when the stallion died. “Everyone saw him as just a grass horse, but now he’s a broodmare sire, a sire of sires, and he’s made history. It was a gamble … to buy a son of Sadler’s Wells was a major move, but it paid off." But over 20 years later, El Prado has made a major impact on the breed in North America. El Prado started his breeding career at Airdrie Stud in Kentucky for Stronach, who didn’t have a stallion operation at the time. Within a few years, Stronach’s opened up Adena Springs stallion facility and El Prado became one of the cornerstones of the operation.   Video courtesy of Thoroughbred Horses in Kentucky "He put us on the map,...
Read more

North America's Champion Second-Crop Sire: Munnings

Image
Munnings When Coolmore’s Demi O’Byrne paid $1.7-million for Munnings as an early 2-year-old, expectation were high for the chestnut son of Speightstown. After winning three graded stakes races and finishing on the board in six others, Munnings retired to Coolmore’s Ashford Stud for $12,500 (approx. €11,523/£8,792) in 2011. That crop produced 109 live foals with 53 of those making it to the track as 2-year-olds. Twenty-seven of those first 2-year-olds went to the winner’s circle with three stakes winners and one graded stakes winner in 2014, allowing Munnings to finish fourth by earnings behind Quality Road (Elusive Quality) on the Leading First-Crop Sires list.  Munnings also finished second behind fellow Ashford Stud Lookin at Lucky (Smart Strike) by winners and stakes winners (Super Saver (Maria’s Mon) tied with Lookin at Lucky at the top of the stakes winners list). But with 108 runners representing the stallion in 2015, the odds swung in his favor. Munnings had...
Read more

Sires to Watch: North America's First Crop Stallions

Image
One of Animal Kingdom's first yearlings With multiple classic and Breeders’ Cup winning racehorses retiring to stud in 2014, there were many choices for breeders when making breeding decisions for their mares. This year, they’ll be able to see if they made the right decisions when that group of stallions have their first runners on the track. Here are a few of those freshmen sires in North America you may want to keep an eye on this year and next as their first runners get rolling on the track. Animal Kingdom – Animal Kingdom has already had some success with his first crop of 2-year-olds in Australia and there’s no reason to think that won’t continue in the United States. According to The Jockey Club, he has 110 northern hemisphere 2-year-olds in this year and his average at this early season 2-year-olds in training sale sits at $288,750, with his top priced horse being a $550,000 colt from four sold. While they started winning fairly early in Australia, I expect the...
Read more