Analyzing the Dam Standings

The 2007 Dam Standings were released this week. A thorough study of the Top-20 reveals few surprising results, but reaffirms factors that most breeders feel contribute to an outstanding brood prospect: bloodlines, track performance, and the performance of her littermates. Another aspect often overlooked is the age of the dam, and the current standings have something to say about that as well.

Track performance: Two of the 21 dams* on the list were major stake winners—Touche Baby won the 1999 St. Pete Derby and Fuzzys Mohican won the 2001 Tri-State Holiday Distance Classic. Ten ran in top grade at a major track and nine of those ten were top grade winners. A further three were grade A winners at Intermediate tracks. Four show no lines and one was hurt early in her career. One was a top-grade winner at a low-end track while the remaining two were graders.

Bloodlines: Five of the Top-20 were Molotov daughters. Two were by P's Raising Cain and another by his virtual brother P's Skidway. Two more were by EJ's Douglas. Overall, 28 of the 192 dams in the Dam Standings were Molotov daughters. Others represented in numbers were P's Raising Cain (11, and a further 4 from P's Skidway), Greys Statesman (10), Oswald Cobblepot (9), Fortress (8), and EJ's Douglas (7). In the other direction were Gable Dodge (4) and Oshkosh Slammer (1). The Top-20 dams descended from several classic damlines led by Maythorn Pride (4) and Lear Jet (3). No other damline had more than one.

Age: The Top-20 dams averaged 5 years, 7 months of age with the youngest being Fuzzys Blueangel at 3 years, 2 months, and the oldest is Tillie O'Darlin at 8 years, 4 months. Three were 3 years of age, six were 4, three were 5, six were 6, two were 7, and one was 8. The drop-off after age 7 was significant. The dams' ages were calculated from the date her last litter was whelped that contributed to the Dam Standings, even if only one pup won a top grade race.

The results aren't earth-shattering, but they confirm common-sense breeding practices top breeders have known for generations—well-bred females who performed well on the track, or were from good litters, and are in the prime of their lives, produce the best offspring. In the current racing environment with shrinking purses and fewer tracks, the best opportunity to produce competitive pups is to play the percentages.

* There are 21 dams on the list due to a tie for 20th place.