Put a Little ROAD In Your Life

"Bellamy Road

will be the next

Seattle Slew."

- Nick Zito

So reads an ad for his stud services in Bloodhorse this week (Bellamy Road, not Nick). Seems an odd headline for a stallion ad. You wouldn't think they'd be going for laughter and mockery here.

Of course, maybe I shouldn't talk, considering that I was all in after his Wood, which I'd have to say is probably still the most exhilarating single performance from a racehorse I've seen in person in the nearly three years I've been doing this website.



In this Derby Top Ten, I had him winning the Derby by 21 lengths. He didn't, though he certainly didn't run too poorly, at least for a mile or so. And he raced only one more time after that, his second to Flower Alley in the Travers, another OK effort, his first race since the Derby, though another which indicated that he was not a mile and a quarter horse. Though how many really are these days?

Bellamy Road was syndicated, and stands at Hurricane Hall (he was their first sire, and will be joined by English Channel and Artie Schiller next year), and his stud fee is down to $10,000 for 2008, from $12,500 this year, when he was bred to 137 mares. That potentially, depending on how many live foals followed, could have generated over $1.7 million, twice as much as the horse earned on the racetrack. His in-foal mares did not attract much attention at sale this year, averaging a bit over $26,000.

Speaking of Flower Alley, he has a far more distinguished looking ad, a double pager, which reads: If his first season is any indication, this flower's a perennial. Very nicely done. He stands for $25,000 at Three Chimneys, and his book is limited to a mere 110 mares.

I've noticed that some farms are offering extra incentives for mare owners to come a-calling. Sun King will open his rookie season at Darby Dan for $10,000, and the outfit invites you to "put some SUN in your life."

First breeder of a graded stakes winner receives a Toyota Solara convertible!

And the proprietors of Northview Stallion Station in Maryland, where Deputy Storm, a one-time (non-graded) stakes winning son of Forestry, stands for $3,500, are offering cold cash, since there's little appeal in offering to put some STORM in your life.

A CASH PRIZE of $50,000 will be awarded to the BREEDER of the first foal from the SECOND CROP...to earn $100,000 in race track earnings as calculated and published by the Daily Racing Form/Equibase.