In our prominent harness racing stallion series we have reviewed American Ideal, Art Major, Bettors Delight, Christian Cullen, Courage Under Fire and Mach Three so far and today we have produced an in depth review for Western Terror.
Enjoy the read.
BREEDING - A real blue blood which ever way you look at it. By the champion sire in Western Hanover, he is from the good Artsplace race mare in Arterra 1:53.2 ($161,976). She is a full sister to the outstanding racehorse and now sire in Artiscape 1:49.3z ($1,469,461) and Strike A Balance 1:55.4 ($121,428) dam of the outstanding Strike An Attitude 1:48.4 ($1,008,898). Apart from Western Terror, Anterra has also produced the brilliant If I Can Dream 1:49.4 ($2,038,153). The grand dam is none other than the brilliant race mare (41 wins) and broodmare in Delinquent Account 1:51.4 ($1,038,997).
RACE RECORD - Western Terror faced the starter just 34 times in his career for the creditable record of 10 wins and 12 placings for stake earnings of $1,289,422. As a 2yo he only had two wins from ten starts and a best winning time of a rather pedestrian 1:54.2, but he went supersonic at three, taking a mark of 1:48.3. He took a few starts as a 3yo before hitting form for trainer Scott Forbes. In his fourth start as a 3yo and in the first division of the North American Cup Western Terror won in 1:51 beating a New Zealand import in Village Hero N. He finished fourth in the final to Mantacular ($1,318,096). He was then transferred to the Brett Pelling stable and it took him another six starts before he won another race and that was a dead-heat (with Timesareachanging) in the Cane Pace final at Freehold in 1:52.3. It should be noted that the worlds fastest horse Holborn Hanover 1:46.4 ($2,164,802) finished fourth, some distance behind Western Terror in this race the Cane Pace Final. He then went on to win a heat of The Little Brown Jug (Second in the final), The Bluegrass stakes and then he took his record of 1:48.3 in The Tattersalls at The Red Mile (In that race Western Terror once again beat Holborn Hanover). He then went on to win The Breeders Crown Final and The Windy City Pace. He retired at the end of his 3yo career.
AMERICAN STUD RECORD - Due in large part to the massive support he received from his now infamous owner David Brooks when he went to stud, Western Terror served big books of mares starting in the 2005 season in Ontario, Canada with 190 mares served. He then stood another year in Canada serving 158 mares. In 2007 Western Terror was moved to New York to stand where he served his smallest ever book of 106 mares (Still a good number) before moving again to Pennsylvania where he has served books of 140, 248, 188, 145, and 152 in 2012. With these numbers served he was given the best start any stallion could have possibly have had. It paid off as he got the desired results. What immediately stands out when looking at his stud record is what a great filly sire he has been. His five top earners are millionaires and are all fillies. Interestingly all have won more than their sire did on the track. They are headed by the brilliant Western Silk 1:50.1s (($1,729,708), Economy Terror 1:49 ($1,589,139), Shacked Up 1:49.4 ($1,466,978), Yellow Diamond 1:49.4 ($1,387,013) and Drop The Ball 1:48.2 ($1,309,174). His best colt to date is his other millionaire in Up the Credit 1:48.3 ($1,293,408) winner of the North American Cup. Up The Credit is being given his chance at stud.
US statistics
Eligible to race 3yr old and older - 679
Winners - 396
% of winners to foals born 3yr old and older - 58%
$100,000 plus - 103
$1,000,000 plus - 6
Sub 1:50 - 18
Average earnings per starter - $82,710
Average earnings per eligible horse - $54,047
Total earnings to date - $42,264,737
AUSTRALIAN STUD RECORD - Was available to Australian breeders for just three years starting in the 2006/2007 season producing just 53, 67 and 62 foals (182) for Alabar. He was brought back to Australia for the current season by Empire. It will be interesting to see what numbers he serves this year. His first three crops are now 5, 6 and 7yos in Australia.
In his first crop he left Lovable Larrikin 1:53.7 ($141,468) and Terrifying 1:55.3 ($129,067).
His second crop produced the good fillies Vertigal 1:55.8 ($317,380) and Arch On Fire 1:56.6 ($130,532). He also left One Eyed Terror 1:56.3 ($148,689), Lightning Joy ($128,875) and Blazing Terror 1:56.5 ($122,119). His 2008 crop produced Terror Time 1:55.1 ($221,760) and Western Rockstar 1:57.3 ($119,385).
Australian statistics
Foals 3yr old and older - 182
Winners - 89
% of winners to foals born 3yr old and older - 48%
$100,000 plus - 9
$1,000,000 plus - 0
Average earnings per starter - $35,359
Average earnings per eligible horse - $22,731
Total earnings to date - $4,137,060
NEW ZEALAND STUD RECORD - Was also only available to NZ breeders for the same three years as in Australia. In that time he produced 169 live foals in New Zealand for 73 winners with the standout being the champion entire Terror To Love 1:51 ($1,970,936) who in November became only the third horse in history to win three New Zealand Cups in a row. However he is the only one of those 169 foals to win over $100,000 in New Zealand with his next biggest earners being Chechnya at $53,000 and Corzin Terror at $35,000. (NOTE: When you take the stake earnings of Terror To Love $1,970,936 off his stakes earned in NZ it leaves a total of just $514,056 earned by his other 168 foals an average of just $3,059)). One has to take into consideration that he produced two horses in New Zealand that were big winners in Australia and they are the Miracle Mlle winner and tremendous mare Baby Bling 1:50.5 ($801,178) and good open class horse Terrorway 1:52.6 ($385,709).
New Zealand statistics
3yr old and older - 169
Starters - 88
Winners - 73
% of winners to foals born 3yr old and older - 43%
$100,000 plus - 1 (8 in Australia)
$1,000,000 plus - 1
Average earnings per starter - $28,238
Average earnings per eligible horse - $14,704
Total earnings to date - $2,484,992
POSITIVES - A proven filly sire who has left a top filly or mare in Canada, the US and in New Zealand (racing in Australia). He has left several horses who have won more than he did on the track which is always desirable in a sire. Can leave that exceptional horse which can dominate his rivals on the track.
NEGATIVES - If you don't get the exceptional one which 99% of breeders don't you are left in the main with an average performer. He has a creditable North American record but his Australasian record is not so hot. In North American he is still behind on just about every indicator when compared against the likes of Bettors Delight, Art Major, and company.
OVERVIEW - The stud stats in the two hemispheres are like chalk and cheese. While he has a creditable but not exceptional record in North America, his Australasian stats are way short of the necessary standard required to be a genuine top stallion for Australasian breeders. With the standard of stallions available increasing every season, Western Terror may already be past his use by date for most Breeders.
OVERALL RATING 5/10
JC
A Sire review - American Ideal
A Stallion review - Bettors Delight
A Stallion review - Christian Cullen
A Stallion review - Courage Under Fire
A Stallion review - Mach Three
Harnesslink has had such positive feedback on our "forgotten sires series" that we are running a series of reviews on our more prominent harness racing sires.
As they say in racing you can criticize some ones car, house or wife but never their horse, and that still rings true.
As a disclaimer to our next chapter of analysis we look to provide educated opinion based on years of industry knowledge and the truest form of critique backed by statistical data.
The above PREVIEWS are set to strip back any sugar coated publicity often associated with Stallion promotion and give you the cold hard facts as JC sees them.
(All statistical data was provided by TrackIt for North American stats and the official organizations of New Zealand and Australia)
And here is "The forgotten sires series"
This is a series of stallion reviews that Harnesslink have already completed with a view to sheading some light on some of the "forgotten"sires in Australasia.
Santanna Blue Chip - On the up and up!
Mr Feelgood - Dual hemisphere champion
Pay Me Christian - Blistering speed
Tinted Cloud - Still going strong
Washington VC - Continuing excellence
Wetern Ideal - A superstar sire
Monarchy - Out of Sundons shadow
Artiscape - Frozen semen blues?
Dream Vacation - Frozen semen superstar
Badlands Hanover - Great value
Brylin Boyz - Potential fulfilled
