Hypothetically speaking with Dr. Andrew Roberts  
Source: www.ustrotting.com
3/8/08

    Springfield, IL --- Long before any trotter or pacer
    can get its picture taken in the winner’s circle; or get
    $2 bet on it; or before it can even romp around in
    the field for the first time, the breeder of that horse
    tirelessly tried to ascertain which mare should be bred
    to which stallion to produce that foal -- in hopes that
    it will be a champion.

    While everyone has their own theories about how
    champion racehorses are produced, many agree that
    hypothetical matings are a useful tool in making
    breeding decisions.

    To discuss the topic of hypothetical matings, we
    spoke to Dr. Andrew Roberts of Lexington, Ky. Dr.
    Roberts owns the stallion Cams Eclipse, who is
    currently standing at Peninsula Farm in Georgetown,
    Ky., as well as 10 mares, eight pacing and two
    trotting. He had many useful insights on how to
    approach the process.

    “The main thing I’m looking for is certain inbred
    crosses,” said Roberts. “If a mare has flaws, I try to
    breed away from those flaws. For example, Strike Out
    was a great stallion, but a lot of his foals were toed-
    in. I breed away from conformational defaults. It
    helps me not make mistakes.”

    But what about inbreeding? How much is too much?

    “The 3x4 and 4x4 crosses are not a problem.
    Obviously, a lot of great horses have several crosses
    to the same ancestor in the fourth or fifth
    generations.

    “With inbreeding, you concentrate the good and the
    bad. If you concentrate the flaws, you get what you
    get. The question any breeder has to ask themselves
    is this: ‘Do I want a brilliant horse that will only race
    five times?’ Usually, that answer is no.

    “I am probably the world’s biggest fan of Direct
    Scooter. He’s a total outcross.”

    Furthermore, Dr. Roberts had additional insights
    about the very methods used in Standardbred
    breeding.

    “Fertility is becoming an issue. If you breed stallions
    from infertile lines to mares from infertile lines, then
    the stallions won’t be able to cover the large books of
    mares.”

    He mentioned that this is becoming one of the
    unintended consequences of our scientific
    advancements in semen transport and artificial
    insemination.

    When looking at a hypothetical match, how far back
    in the pedigree should the breeder look?

    “I look five or six generations back,” said Roberts. “I’
    m a tried-and-true kind of guy. If Cam Fella works
    with B.G’s Bunny mares, then that’s where I want to
    go. The sire contributes 50 percent of the foal’s
    genes, so that’s probably more important than who
    its fifth dam is.”

    His stallion, Cams Eclipse, is by Cam Fella, out of the
    B.G’s Bunny mare Styx And Scones.

    “I’m a big believer that for the small breeder, pay
    attention to the percentages. Certain crosses
    produce brilliant horses. If the cross works 80
    percent of the time, then that is something a small
    breeder should try. If it has low percentages, then
    don’t try it.”

    For those breeders interested in hypothetical
    matings, be sure to take advantage of that feature in
    the USTA’s Standardbred Roster of Stallions
    (STARS). As of this writing, there are 79 stallions
    included in the roster.

    While it only takes a minute to use, it just might help
    produce the champion of a lifetime.
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