MUCHO MACHO MAN IS JUST WHAT RACING NEEDS

Mucho Macho Man is a welcome exception to the prevailing trend of retiring outstanding 3-year-old colts to stud, Kentucky Derby winner Orb being the most recent example. Mucho Macho Man is a 5-year-old with a record of 8 wins, 5 seconds, and 6 thirds in 23 starts and earnings of $5,340,410. This includes a third in the 2011 Kentucky Derby, a close second in the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic, and a nose win in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

While Mucho Macho Man has a nice pedigree, he does not have the fashionable pedigree that would warrant a starting stud fee of, say, $50,000 in the manner of a Bernardini. But given the choice between breeding to Mucho Macho Man or a better bred stakes winner who was retired as a 3-year-old with a light racing record, I’d take Mucho Macho Man. He is a big horse with the speed, stamina, and resilience that one should look for in a stallion prospect.

The owners of Mucho Macho Man should be commended for keeping him racing and letting him show what he can do as a mature horse. Had he been retired as a 3-year-old, he might be standing for $6,500, perhaps in a remote location. Now that he has proved himself on the racetrack over a four-year period, he will merit a much better stud fee and attract a higher quality mare.

The toughness that Mucho Macho Man has demonstrated on the racetrack is largely missing in the Thoroughbred breed of the current era. For that reason, he is precisely the type of stallion that racing needs. This guy is no wimp!

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