Chrome already paid off Taylor Made investment

[CA_Chrome]

Informative article from Racing Post's Bloodstock page. Chrome has already repaid what the Taylors paid for him, plus there are some insights into the syndicate and a little more information about why Love The Chase is being sold. (The romantic side of me wishes she would never be sold, but the practical side of me understands completely.)

http://bloodstock.racingpost.com/news/bloodstock/chrome-already-repaid-taylor-mades-spend/2145951/

[Dusty]

THANKS for the article - I would not sell her but ...

[CA_Chrome]

Back when Eugene Klein retired Lady's Secret and was planning to send her to a sale, I wished with all my heart that I was wealthy. I wished so, so much that she would go to a forever home where she would be cherished as much as I cherished her. But the hard lesson is that horses are considered livestock. They can be valuable commodities, and the business side of horse racing is not for the faint of heart. Martin wants to support Chrome with quality mares. He needs serious money to buy that level of mare. So the cold business calculation is to sell Love the Chase in foal to Tapit.

The only thing a soft-hearted middle class person such as myself can do is take comfort in the fact that Chrome will have every chance to develop into a useful or better sire.

[Dusty]

Back when Eugene Klein retired Lady's Secret and was planning to send her to a sale, I wished with all my heart that I was wealthy. I wished so, so much that she would go to a forever home where she would be cherished as much as I cherished her. But the hard lesson is that horses are considered livestock. They can be valuable commodities, and the business side of horse racing is not for the faint of heart. Martin wants to support Chrome with quality mares. He needs serious money to buy that level of mare. So the cold business calculation is to sell Love the Chase in foal to Tapit.

The only thing a soft-hearted middle class person such as myself can do is take comfort in the fact that Chrome will have every chance to develop into a useful or better sire.

I know - I like you wish I were of the financial means too. Hopefully Chrome does proove a good sire

[curtis]

Back when Eugene Klein retired Lady's Secret and was planning to send her to a sale, I wished with all my heart that I was wealthy. I wished so, so much that she would go to a forever home where she would be cherished as much as I cherished her. But the hard lesson is that horses are considered livestock. They can be valuable commodities, and the business side of horse racing is not for the faint of heart. Martin wants to support Chrome with quality mares. He needs serious money to buy that level of mare. So the cold business calculation is to sell Love the Chase in foal to Tapit.

The only thing a soft-hearted middle class person such as myself can do is take comfort in the fact that Chrome will have every chance to develop into a useful or better sire.

Lukas really liked those Secretariats. He trained Lady's Sercret's dam, Great Lady M, for some owners he had in his quarter horse days. He also knew the Baughs who raced Crimson Saint from his quarter horse days. When Crimson Saint was done racing, she was sold to Tom Gentry. I think Lukas bought every one of Crimson Saint's Secretariat foals, the two best being Terlingua and Pancho Villa, the former of course producing Storm Cat, thus greatly affecting the breed. In 1989, Lukas purchased a Secretariat-Crimson Saint yearling for 660k. I purchased that horse--subsequently named Border Run--twenty-two years later, minus some equipment😏, for the very middle class price of $250.  I've still got him, my wife adores him and he ain't goin' anywhere, sometimes it works out.

[CA_Chrome]

Lukas really liked those Secretariats. He trained Lady's Secret's dam, Great Lady M, for some owners he had in his quarter horse days. He also knew the Baughs who raced Crimson Saint from his quarter horse days. When Crimson Saint was done racing, she was sold to Tom Gentry. I think Lukas bought every one of Crimson Saint's Secretariat foals, the two best being Terlingua and Pancho Villa, the former of course producing Storm Cat, thus greatly affecting the breed. In 1989, Lukas purchased a Secretariat-Crimson Saint yearling for 660k. I purchased that horse--subsequently named Border Run--twenty-two years later, minus some equipment😏, for the very middle class price of $250.  I've still got him, my wife adores him and he ain't goin' anywhere, sometimes it works out.

Wow, Curtis. Please give Border Run a hug and treat for me. A full brother to Terlingua and Pancho Villa, and half brother to Royal Academy. Just wow!

Words can't express how much I love Secretariat. Following his descendants is the only reason I'm still in horse racing. Conventional wisdom has become that Red was a failure at stud, but that's most definitely not the case. It's absolutely true that Lukas helped make Secretariat's stud career. Not many people these days know Red was leading sire of 2 year olds in 1978 and leading broodmare sire of 1992.

[Senator L]

Lukas really liked those Secretariats. He trained Lady's Sercret's dam, Great Lady M, for some owners he had in his quarter horse days. He also knew the Baughs who raced Crimson Saint from his quarter horse days. When Crimson Saint was done racing, she was sold to Tom Gentry. I think Lukas bought every one of Crimson Saint's Secretariat foals, the two best being Terlingua and Pancho Villa, the former of course producing Storm Cat, thus greatly affecting the breed. In 1989, Lukas purchased a Secretariat-Crimson Saint yearling for 660k. I purchased that horse--subsequently named Border Run--twenty-two years later, minus some equipment😏, for the very middle class price of $250.  I've still got him, my wife adores him and he ain't goin' anywhere, sometimes it works out.

That's so cool.  :chickendance:

[curtis]

Wow, Curtis. Please give Border Run a hug and treat for me. A full brother to Terlingua and Pancho Villa, and half brother to Royal Academy. Just wow!

Words can't express how much I love Secretariat. Following his descendants is the only reason I'm still in horse racing. Conventional wisdom has become that Red was a failure at stud, but that's most definitely not the case. It's absolutely true that Lukas helped make Secretariat's stud career. Not many people these days know Red was leading sire of 2 year olds in 1978 and leading broodmare sire of 1992.

I got to see Crimson Saint run and win at Hollywood Park back in the day--she was a rocket ship, 6f was a little too far for her--and I got to feed Secretariat peppermints during Derby Week, 1987.  I also got to see Terlingua run once or twice.  I also remember seeing Pancho Villa beat Precisionist at Hollywood Park.  Now everyday, I get to clean up after Border Run--he's a slob in the Oscar Madison sort of way but when your bred like him it's called style , as well as groom and feed him.  He likes his peppermints just like his Pop.  He also has access to an apple tree behind the barn.

I've been trying to upload a recent photo of Border Run but I keep getting error messages.  I've tried a few times but all i seem to be doing is proving Einstein's definition of insanity.  The photo can be found over on the Mothership Forum in The Gelding Thread.  You probably would have to scroll back a few pages as the photo was taken about a month ago.

[CA_Chrome]

I saw Secretariat run several times and was in the club house between the finish line and first turn when he won the Belmont Stakes. I also saw Lady's Secret, Pancho Villa and several other of Red's stakes winners who ran in SoCal in the 1980's. Swoon immediately comes to mind, but there were others. I visited Lady in her stall at Hollywood Park once, a treat I still carry with me to this day. I was at Santa Anita shortly after Pancho was injured and was able to ask Wayne how the horse was doing. Was comforted to hear he was doing ok. I corresponded with Louis Roussel about Risen Star after that brilliant horse was injured and retired. Corresponded with Mrs. Tweedy and Ron Turcotte, and met Lucien Lauren when he visited SoCal for an event honoring the 25th anniversary of Secretariat's Triple Crown. And, of course, I saw as many of Red's grand kids as possible when any ran in SoCal. Indy, Summer Squall and Al Mamoon are particular favorites, but there are many others.

Secretariat liked people and was often a playful horse, and those characteristics were passed down to many of his foals and later descendants.

Ah, the memories. So it is an absolute joy for me to connect even in this small way with the person who owns Border Run. He looks wonderful in that photo. Thank you so much for sharing a bit of him with me. 

[curtis]

I saw Secretariat run several times and was in the club house between the finish line and first turn when he won the Belmont Stakes. I also saw Lady's Secret, Pancho Villa and several other of Red's stakes winners who ran in SoCal in the 1980's. Swoon immediately comes to mind, but there were others. I visited Lady in her stall at Hollywood Park once, a treat I still carry with me to this day. I was at Santa Anita shortly after Pancho was injured and was able to ask Wayne how the horse was doing. Was comforted to hear he was doing ok. I corresponded with Louis Roussel about Risen Star after that brilliant horse was injured and retired. Corresponded with Mrs. Tweedy and Ron Turcotte, and met Lucien Lauren when he visited SoCal for an event honoring the 25th anniversary of Secretariat's Triple Crown. And, of course, I saw as many of Red's grand kids as possible when any ran in SoCal. Indy, Summer Squall and Al Mamoon are particular favorites, but there are many others.

Secretariat liked people and was often a playful horse, and those characteristics were passed down to many of his foals and later descendants.

Ah, the memories. So it is an absolute joy for me to connect even in this small way with the person who owns Border Run. He looks wonderful in that photo. Thank you so much for sharing a bit of him with me. 

Al Mamoon or rather P Val ended a rather sizable amount I had built up on a show parlay in the '86 Breeder's Cup. I had taken $1 each from family members--$5 total--gave them the names of the horses, I was betting and told them I wasn't stopping until the BC races were over. By the BC Mile, our $5 had turned into $519. P Val saw the end to that. I remember I used Al Mamoon instead of Palace Music because I thought Al Mamoon would get a much better trip. It almost looked as if P Val was trying to find trouble the whole race. I remember my parents were convinced I stopped at $519.  I don't think my mother got over that until the day she died. I remember at Thanksgiving that year--Mom could hold a grudge--my uncle, who was in on the bet, praised me for not chickening out and said that I absolutely did the right thing and he would have done the same. If the carving knife hadn't been put away there may have been a double homicide. Mom didn't take tough beats well.

[CA_Chrome]

LOL, Curtis, that's quite a story. P Val was already doing drugs at that time, I believe. Al Mamoon was such a talented horse, he deserved better than to be ridden by a talented by extremely foolish jockey.

[curtis]

LOL, Curtis, that's quite a story. P Val was already doing drugs at that time, I believe. Al Mamoon was such a talented horse, he deserved better than to be ridden by a talented by extremely foolish jockey.

If I remember right, Frankel--who could also hold a grudge, I'm sure Mom and Broadway Bobby are talking that one over as I type this--took P Val off Al Mamoon after that race and replaced him with Gary Stevens and they wired the field in the Bay Meadows Handicap.  If only Bobby had done that one race earlier......