“Now nearing elite status by any measure but price,”is how Thoroughbred Daily News’s Chris McGrath described BLAME when putting the stallion in the Gold position on the value podium in his February 8 article looking at established stallions.
A stallion whose percentages match up with some of the best in the business, BLAME has proven year after year to produce top-class runners around the world, with 16 percent stakes horses just the tip of his resume.
BLAME’s percentages when looking at his stakes performers to named foals compare with some of the best in the stallion ranks at just a fraction of the fee.
“Having just turned 15, BLAME is entering his prime,” McGrath writes. “As a percentage of named foals, … BLAME now measures up to Into Mischief for Grade 1 winners; Ghostzapper for Grade 1 horses; More Than Ready for graded stakes winners; Kitten’s Joy for graded stakes horses; Uncle Mo for stakes horses; and Candy Ride (Arg) for stakes winners.”
If that wasn’t enough of an endorsement to prove that BLAME is the ultimate value sire of 2021, the stallion also matches up to fellow 2011 first season sire Quality Road in nearly every category.
“… by stakes winners, Quality Road’s 6.5% plays 6% for BLAME (black-type performers (12.5 and 12.2%); they respectively stand at 3.7 and 3.3% for graded stakes winners, and 6.2 and 6.4% for graded stakes horses; while their overall Grade 1 performers measure up at 2.5 and 2.3%,” he says.
A top racehorse with the pedigree to match, BLAME’s rise through the stallion ranks is no surprise to McGrath. As he points out, the son of the late Claiborne stalwart ARCH has the kind of stallion-making pedigree that has produced successful stallions around the world, led by Sadler’s Wells and Nureyev.
“BLAME has a for-the-ages pedigree, with fourth dam Thong standing opposite Courtly Dee in Arch’s maternal line,” he notes. “That’s like a time capsule for everything we need to retain in the breed. Sure enough, he’s obviously another who would make any breeder glad to retain a filly.”
BLAME stands for $30,000 in 2021 after coming off a season that saw 16 of his runners place at the stakes level – led by Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Nadal. You can read McGrath’s article here.
