There’s more than mere numbers to define Halo’s Image, however. He may not be the most consistent stallion around, but it is his proven ability to get the big horse that has made him Florida’s leading sire by progeny earnings for 2006, a position he also attained in 2004.
Bred and raced by the partnership of Arthur Appleton and Happy Alter, Halo’s Image scored his biggest wins in the 1994 Tropical Park Handicap (G3) and the 1996 Broward Handicap (G3). Consistent and versatile, he hit the board in 20 of his 26 starts and won stakes at distances from six to nine furlongs. He was nowhere near being a top-class runner, as demonstrated by his non-threatening third in the 1994 Florida Derby (G1) behind Holy Bull, but his record was certainly good enough to merit a chance at stud in a regional market. He stood his first season for $3,500 at Appleton’s Bridlewood Farm in 1998.
Halo’s Image first attracted marked notice in 2003 with Sir Oscar and Southern Image. The former was unbeaten at two, sweeping the Florida Stallion Stakes series, while the latter won the Malibu Stakes (G1) as a late three-year-old in December.
Sir Oscar was unable to follow up on his good juvenile form, winning only one race in eleven starts since then, but Southern Image went on to become one of the best handicap horses of 2004, scoring victories in the 2004 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) and Pimlico Special (G1) before running second over an off track to Colonial Colony in the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1).
He eventually retired following the last-named race and now stands at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky.
Southern Image
Both Sir Oscar and Southern Image are out of mares from the Northern Dancer male line, which certainly fits the conventional wisdom that a son of Halo might do well with Northern Dancer-line mares. But since then, Halo’s Image has sired only the minor stakes winner Time to Divorce from a Northern Dancer-line mare. While opportunity may well be a factor – the Northern Dancer sire line is not quite as common in Florida as in Kentucky – other considerations may also be at play.
All strains of Northern Dancer are not created alike, and a key factor to selecting mares from this line that will suit Halo’s Image may well involve his broodmare sire, Valid Appeal. Unlike the Halo line, Valid Appeal and his sons have not been particularly effective with Northern Dancer-line mares as a group, nor have Valid Appeal daughters produced strong results when crossed to Northern Dancer-line sires; in fact, some Northern Dancer branches have produced distinctly negative results. Among the sons of Northern Dancer, Valid Appeal has combined best with Dixieland Band, Danzig, and Nijinsky II – and it may be no coincidence that two of these branches are represented in Southern Image (whose dam is the Dixieland Band mare Pretty Image) and Sir Oscar (whose dam is by Danzig’s son Honor Grades).
As Dixieland Band, Danzig, and Nijinsky II have all combined well with Halo in pedigrees, these would seem to be the best Northern Dancer strains to try in future matings to Halo’s Image. Non-Northern Dancer lines that may also be worth looking for in potential mates for Halo’s Image include Forty Niner (whose son Twining is the broodmare sire of 2006 Canadian Derby (Can-3) winner Halo Steven), Ack Ack, Prince John, Never Bend, and male strains of *Mahmoud; all of these strains have historically done well when combined with Halo or Valid Appeal.
Halo’s Image commanded a fee of $10,000 in 2005 and 2006 but has dropped back to $7,500 for 2007. Even this fee may seem high given his overall results.
Nonetheless, he may be worth the money if careful attention is paid to selecting potential mates with the pedigree factors that appear to have the best chance of working with him.
Halo's Image
3 comments:
I was very excited to find this article. I happen to own one of Halo's Images' sons; Sugar Hills Image. I rescued him from slaughter after he had torn his deep digital flexor tendon during training. From what I have been told, when I got him he was completly healed and ready to hit the tracks again; he just needed to be re-habilitated. Unfortunanlty, the owners at that time did not want to put money into him any longer...but I was willing! Not that anyone cares about a backyard horse, but just for the record he is one amazing animal! A bit of a change for him, he is now a western pleasure horse who spends his free time tormenting his pasture mates and trying to find treats in my pockets. I always wondered what kind of race horse he would have made. He came with a certificate to the breeders cup (or something like that...I am not familiar with the race industry) and a very nice family history. So thank you, to the breeders that created my Image and I guess to the previous owners who did not think he was worth the time and money to keep. Beacuse of all of you, I have a very expnsive and well planned was-to-be-future-breeders-cup-champion in my backyard who is now enjoying life as a fat, happy, lazy pet!
Nice article :)
I've also been riding a Halo's Image son, who "failed out" of racing at Charles Town despite being a reasonably well priced and promising yearling.
He's a lovely ride, and looks just like his sire (except a different color. Same hind end and build, though). I know it's not racing related, but he has a blog at http://kidklondike.wordpress.com if you're at all interested. He's probably one of my favorite horses ever, so any time I see the stallion's name, I always give the horse a good look over.
Sugar Hills Image is an amazing,majestic animal, I often wonder if I should of got him back on the track,but it would of killed me if something would happen to him,he is doing great and loves his days not being so stressfull. So my breeders cup champion will always hold special spot in my heart and will live out his days with his buddy commanche trooper and being my beautiful champion!
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