War Emblem Is Particular Suitor

Derby and Preakness Winner Spent Last Three Years Refusing Mares

Dec 11, 2008

The 2002 Three-Year-Old Male Champion War Emblem was a slow starter in passing along his genes following his retirement from the track. Black Emblem is his latest winner.

War Emblem, a black beauty of the track in 2002, is choosy. Apparently, he doesn't like others to select his breeding mares, and he definitely prefers chestnuts. Over the past three years, the 2002 Eclipse Award Champion Male Three-Year-Old has covered little, not his disdain for breeding, nor the mares offered to him.

But now comes another stakes winner from his limited progeny, Black Emblem. This three-year-old filly bearing her daddy's name captured the October Shuka Sho, the third leg of the Japanese Triple Tiara, racing at Kyoto Racecourse in Japan.

The 43 foals that War Emblem has produced since his retirement to the gene pool in 2003 have given him status enough, showing what has been called "extraordinary talent" (The Blood-Horse magazine, June 14, 2008, "War Emblem Responding to Behavorial Treatment", page 3026), to make it worthwhile to his owners to continue his breeding behavorial therapy.

War Emblem Purchased by Yoshida Family

In the fall of 2002, after War Emblem had triumphed in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, the Japanese Yoshida clan bought the champion conditiioned by top trainer Bob Baffert from The Thoroughbred Corp. for $17 million.

The Shadai Stallion Station on the Japanese island of Hokkaido is War Emblem's home now. He resides in a peaceful paddock where he can observe mares and foals grazing in the next door fields.

Perhaps his own breeding is beginning to shine through. War Emblem's dam is named Sweetest Lady, and these days at Shadai War Emblem is being referred to as "such a nice horse" by veterinarian Dr. Sue McDonnell, breeding and behavorial specialist at the Universtiy of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center. The problem, McDonnell observed, has been getting War Emblem interested in using his attributes.

Sired by Our Emblem and grandsired by the successful Lord At War (Sweetest Lady's sire), War Emblem has always possessed fertile sperm, according to McDonnell, who developed the behavorial treatment program that has been credited with keying War Emblem's positive progress this year and getting the stallion to revoke a mysterious dislike for all things breeding.

It is remarkable, and certainly exciting for his owners, that War Emblem has emerged as a leading third crop sire despite his early refusals in the breeding shed.

Behavorial Treatment from New Bolton Center Techs

A large team helping to put War Emblem's breeding habits into better gear include Dr. Nicholas Mills, Kent, England, an equine reproduction veterinarian; McDonnell; New Bolton Center stallion handler Jim Morris; Dr. Nobuo Tsunoda, Shadai's stud veterinarian; and War Emblem's grooms.

War Emblem has begun to respond well to their efforts on his behalf in three specific areas: handling techniques in the breeding shed, hormone supplementation, and the Shadai relocation.

Black Emblem is the most accomplished of War Emblem's scant offspring. She improved her earnings to $1,614,700 in October with her fourth win in nine starts.

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