Pedigree

And so, we like the catalog page of Hip #148.  Doubting I have had one better.  Does pedigree matter?  Human sample to make a point.

Those attuned to athletics will recall Glenn (Big Dog) Robinson.  Number one selection in the 1994 NBA draft. Never lived up to it, but, decent player.  Glenn Robinson I:

  Here's Glenn Robinson III:

There's probably more workout in that vid then Glenn I did in his whole career, which will be referred to next post.

Some resemblance between father and son except none in build size and natural strength.  Glenn Robinson was 6' 9".  Big big fellow.  While unknown, I'd be amazed to see the Robinson III ever make it to the NBA.

That's other than to say Robinson I would never duplicate himself..  Happens, and probably more in horses than humans.  Imo the heritable trait that matters in horses geometrically above any other is breathing ability.  All these 4 legged creatures can run but are severely limited in their breathing mechanism and O2 uptake ability.  If the pop won 6 million, he could breathe.  I have a rule to avoid unraced dams at auctions for fear that they're unraced due to a breathing problem.  I find these problems highly heritable.

The other thing that can happen pedigree wise, I am supposing, is that the superior horse athlete as the superior human athletes--mostly Africans--have an extra centimeter or maybe a quarter inch length advantage to arms and legs.  I did notice once, when wrapping the leg of a wide receiver for the Missouri Tigers that the black athlete had a peculiar diamond shape patella to his knee.  He was very fast.  There are some things, obviously, that are passed down.

There are some more traits that we want from inheritance, and this is illustrated to a degree by Hip #148.  What u notice about natural athletes is their physical presence, their explosiveness and grace in their ordinary movements, and their natural energy.  U take a look at these sorts and, u just "see it".  My lazy Rodney was a little fellow in the ring at Fasig Tipton standing there half asleep.  He's proven to be an extraordinarily lazy creature by nature.  Hip #148 was a bundle of energy through his time in the ring.  Difference, possibly.

So, what may we conclude about the role of pedigree.  I can only say it's nice to have it.  It's nice to believe all that time, effort and $$$ u put into ur horse has a better chance of success due to ur shrewd selection as to pedigree.  And yet, what does it really matter in the pinch.   Two statements to ponder:

Noted retired English Trainer Bill O'Gorman:  when they're in the stretch drive it does little good for them to call for help from their ancestors.

And this one has stuck with me through the years.  Jockey Terry McGee after a nice gallop on one of mine at the farm:  That was a good gallop, McGee.  McGee:  "None of that matters."

Fails to matter is what, according to McGee, we may say about pedigree and everything else. It's all irrelevant to getting them out of the starting gate in an actual race.  That's a different world, and if u ever observe it closely in full action of what it is, in truth ancestry has, maybe, a sliver of relevance. Nice to see though that, by accident, my #148 and Sinister Minister have the same broodmare sire.