I recently published my second Thoroughbred pedigree book, titled THE AMERICAN THOROUGHBRED (Volume I).  In this book, I strived to answer these pertinent questions--

1) What ancestors should I be combining in pedigrees to not only achieve success at the racetrack, but also lock in genetic superiority at stud?  When I present a theory, I provide as many examples of these ancestors combining in quality pedigrees as I can track down.

2) Which ancestors should I REALLY be inbreeding to?  Using stallions that are hot is only one piece of the puzzle.  Have you ever noticed that most of the top stallions only sire about 5% stakes winners?  Unless you want to consistently be among the other 95%, it is time to start paying attention to details in pedigrees.  It is not random luck that allows the 5% to succeed where others fail.  It is research and a willingness to think beyond the pack mentatility.  There are certain mares (and their stallion descendants) who are consistently found in the pedigrees of champions, and they can not be seen within the confines of a 3 generation sales catalog page.  Do NOT be among the average breeders and racehorse owners who continually scoff at what they do not understand.  Learn from their mistakes.

In delving into pedigrees further than I ever have before (after 20 years of research), I am uncovering historically significant combinations that are equally effective with reinforcement of specific ancestors.  It has certainly opened my eyes, and I hope that I have presented my theories in a format that it is as easy as possible for breeders to use in their breeding programs and increase the percentage of stakes winners that they are able to breed.  Having said that, there is nothing really simple about pedigree analysis--it is a lifelong pursuit.  Nevertheless, I look forward to presenting my results and discussing them with interested parties.