When Buying Broodmares, Start with a Bloodstock Agent
If you want to bet on horses, go to the track. If you want to build your own horse racing legacy, find a good bloodstock agent.
Racing is a romantic sport that traces back thousands of years of human and equine history. For some, the beauty of the animals and the intensity of the race holds a powerful allure.
Watching races isn’t enough for a certain type of fan. These aficionados want a more hands-on approach that grants them access behind the scenes and into the stables. For people wanting to put their money where their passion is, there are five types of thoroughbreds you can buy at auction:
Broodmares
Weanlings
Yearlings
Two-Year-Olds
Horses of Racing Age
If you’re looking to make a long-term investment and contribute to the heritage of horse racing, broodmares are a good place to start a legacy. These horses aren’t meant to race, but their foals can grow up to be champions down the stretch.
The average cost for a broodmare was $95,000 in 2021. Broodmares can be pregnant or not when you buy them. In some cases, the mare is already nursing a foal.
When you enter the world of breeding horses, there’s a lot to learn. For instance, broodmares need about 16 hours of sunlight before the breeding season. In addition, overweight mares often have fertility problems.
A mare can have one foal in a given year. It’s considered precious cargo, so an ultrasound is recommended 14 days after breeding. Throughout the stages of gestation, unborn foals and their mothers have specific health and nutrition needs
You’ll also want to take into account the horse’s age. You don’t want to buy a broodmare past her prime fertile years. It’s also possible to buy a mare that’s too young. First foals can be smaller than those delivered by experienced mothers.
Speaking of fertility, you definitely want to make sure your broodmare hasn’t had any past issues with bringing foals to term.
How about scars or other unsightly defects? These aren’t a problem and could be used to haggle the price down. She’s not going to enter any beauty contests, but, with luck, her offspring will shine in the winner’s circle.
You may also want to consider a mare who’s easy to ride or has had a successful competitive career. That way, if she’s unable to deliver foals, she’ll be able to do other jobs.
Professional Bloodstock Agents
If you haven’t realized it already, there’s more to owning a broodmare than introducing her to a stallion. You have a lot to consider, which is why it’s important to connect with one of the many reputable bloodstock agents Kentucky has to offer.
Bloodstock agents help their clients buy and sell thoroughbred horses. They’re equine professionals who can specialize in breeding stock, racing stock, or both. They’re also crucial when it comes to selecting a stallion to breed with your mare.
A horse’s conformation is the arrangement of muscle, bone, tissue, and overall body structure. A bloodstock agent relies on years of experience to take everything into account when advising clients on when to make a purchase and when to pass.
After you pick your horse, Bloodstock agents are crucial when it comes to breeding your broodmare. Stallion sheds are generally open from mid-February to mid-June, so there’s a small window of opportunity when breeding your thoroughbred.
Obviously, trust is an important issue when working with bloodstock agents. Kentucky has no shortage of professionals to help guide you through the process of buying and mating a broodmare.
Headley Bell with Nicoma Bloodstock at Mill Ridge Farms understands that owning a thoroughbred is about more than dollars and cents. He says it’s important to remember the romance that attracted you to racing in the first place.
“It’s all about the horse,” he says. “You have to have a love of the horse to grow a successful relationship.”
When looking for a bloodstock agent, Kentucky has plenty to choose from, but it’s important to find an equine professional who connects with you.
“Do your research before entering into a contract with a bloodstock agent,” Headley says. “The relationship is key.”
Bloodstock Agents, Kentucky
A good bloodstock agent will want to understand your goals before starting to make suggestions. If you’re interested in running in a few races, that’s one thing.
It’s quite another feat to work with equine professionals over time to develop a thoroughbred horse portfolio. If you’re thinking long-term, you can grow your stable of horses from scratch. Who knows what your legacy might become?
Your relationship with your bloodstock agent could last many years, so you want to make sure you hire one with a reputation for results and integrity.
It’s your job to ask around and do your internet research to see who’s been getting results on the track year after year. Four organizations are tasked with making sure those wins were achieved properly:
In addition to bloodstock agents, Kentucky has deeply knowledgeable thoroughbred owners and trainers. However, they’re usually focused on their businesses.
A bloodstock agent understands the importance of pedigrees and mating, so you can get the best possible return on your investment. As already mentioned, thoroughbred racehorse breeding is a complicated process. A qualified professional can advise you on:
broodmares to purchase
qualities to breed for
choosing a stallion
There are no guarantees on the racetrack. That’s part of the romance of the sport, but no one gets into the thoroughbred business hoping their horse comes in last. While you build your judgment and become better able to discern which horses would make the best broodmares, it’s crucial to have a professional by your side with hard-earned expertise to share.
Why Mill Ridge?
Some of the finest bloodstock agents Kentucky has to offer are available from Nicoma Bloodstock at Mill Ridge Farms. It would be difficult to find more successful partners with such an impressive track record.
Since 2000, Mill Ridge and Nicoma have had three Horses of the Year:
BRICKS AND MORTAR
HAVRE DE GRACE
POINT GIVEN
People around the world know about the Kentucky Derby. It’s the most prestigious horse race in the United States and, arguably, on the planet. In addition to raising 2005 Kentucky Derby winner GIACOMO at Mill Ridge, the equine professionals affiliated with Mill Ridge have assisted in the matings of two winners of the classic at Churchill Downs:
STREET SENSE
BARBARO
The successes keep piling up to include 9 Breeders’ Cup winners raised or sold at Mill Ridge:
OSCAR PERFORMANCE
RIA ANTONIA
LIFE IS SWEET
STREET SENSE
ROUND POND
ARTIE SCHILLER
SWEET CATOMINE
JOHAR
SPAIN
When you’re ready to start building your thoroughbred legacy and purchase a broodmare, it makes sense to work with people with a shining history of achievement both on and off the track.
If you’d like to begin a conversation with a bloodstock agent at Nicoma Bloodstock about potentially owning your own piece of thoroughbred racing history, contact us today at (859) 224-1000 or learn more here.