PLUTO TRANSFORMS THE HORSE INDUSTRY
By Astrologer, Carole Hemingway

 

     On Columbus Day, 2009 I was thinking back to simpler times while researching this article and decided to focus on the year 1964.  Reflecting on changes in the Pluto cycles over the  past 45 years, from the earth sign of Virgo to the next earth sign of Capricorn (our present cycle) and all the cycles in-between; Pluto in Libra (October 1971 to August 1984) gave us beautiful horses like Storm Cat, born a Pisces Sun on February 27, 1983.


Pluto in Scorpio came in late November 1983 and stayed until November 1995 and was by far the best fertile sign for breeding, Dynaformer comes to mind, born on April 1, 1985 his Pluto in early degrees of Scorpio.  Then came the money, followed by the greed in the horse industry as Pluto moved to the horse sign/symbol of Sagittarius, from Mid-November 1995 to late November, 2008.  Now…we’re in the Pluto cycle of Capricorn, ruling the end of an era and an end to drugging horses, an end to corrupt racing practices, with more regulation and control, less mares, not more, bone issues in horses that need to be addressed along with the benefits of stem cell treatments on race horses, such as Lava Man.  Just like in real estate, horse sales are now a buyer’s market, so hold on to your recession hat as this cycle will last into 2024.

     Horse farms survival will depend on the cycles matched to the incorporation dates of farms, just hope you filed the papers where there were a lot of earth signs in Taurus, Virgo or Capricorn.  If that’s the case and your timing fits the legal documents then know you’ve built a solid foundation and will continue to be successful.  The water sign of Cancer, however will likely fail or merge with one of the above earth signs, Capricorn being the less likely to settle on your Cancerian terms.  Also, due to weather changes, like the Dalton Cycle, already in full swing since late November 2008, lasting a hefty 58 years. Forget global warming folks, that’s only popular while Al Gore collects on his carbon credits; think global cooling which will change Kentucky breeding cycles and even Keeneland and Churchill Downs race track schedules. Due to cold climate change, I’m talking really, really cold.  Expect a shortage of horse feed in 2011.

     But let’s rewind for a moment, and get back to those simpler times in 1964.  Though, the computer mouse was invented, computers were still in the raw stages and took up entire basements of buildings.  When Storm Cat
was born February 27, 1983 there was still no internet, we were not connected 24/7 like we are today.  1964 was also a Leap Year; we still used carbon paper to make copies of those important documents that had to go by snail mail.  Research was limited to the library and by the time you wrote it up, was already obsolete.  No cell phones, thank God.  Me and Stephen King are probably the last two hold-outs in Maine for that technology.

     Indeed, small time America was still small, the grocery store, butcher, milk man and drug store all delivered.  Doctors, lawyers, air lines and banks were just starting to get commercialized and people were still complaining about all of it instead of just accepting the changes.  Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer became the rage in popularity and a Canadian Jockey by the name of Ron Turcotte rode a Canadian horse by the name of Northern Dancer in his first victory as a two-year old at Fort Erie Race Track.

     Northern Dancer, a bay colt was born later than other foals, May 27, 1961 by Nearctic-Natalma.  A Gemini Sun, small, stocky with a devilish, mischievous disposition, and as sportswriter Jim Murray described in the
Los Angeles Times, “His legs are barely long enough to keep his tail off the ground.”  In 1962 he was unwanted for adoption, even for free no one would take him, so his Canadian owner/breeder Aquarian Sun, E.P. Taylor, born January 29, 1901, decided to stick by the little horse and the colt nobody thought much of became not only a race track wonder winning the 1964 Kentucky Derby in two minutes flat, but won the Preakness and nearly won the Belmont which was run that year at Aquaduct.  But, that’s not the end of the story, when the trainer, Horatio Luro wanted to geld him,
E.P. Taylor with his laser beam stare said a definite No to that idea.  It’s a good thing too, because this little Gemini colt became the Clint Eastwood ‘stud of horses’.  Worth $40 million by 1981 and today his bloodlines extend from 50 to 70% of all thoroughbred horses and as long as the ‘gene pool’ is clear and not muddied up, folks like Sheikh Mohammed will continue to buy them up.  Smart man!

     After Northern Dancer, came another ‘horse wonder’, Storm Cat, a
Pisces Sun can you believe, born on February 27, 1983?  His Papa was
Storm Bird and his Mama was Terlinqua who was euthanized April 29, 2008 because of complications from infirmities of old age.  She was 32
years old from the second crop of Secretariat.

Storm Cat’s Grandsire was, you guessed it, Northern Dancer, his maternal grandsire Secretariat is regarded as the greatest broodmare sire in the history books.

     Storm Cat’s success in breeding is legend.  In fact, author Kevin Conley
wrote a great book, STUD…ADVENTURES IN BREEDING all about Stormy’s life at Overbrook Farm.  He was the leading sire in North America, in 1999 and 2000.  At his peak, his stud fee between 2002 to 2007 was a whopping $500,000 per rendezvous with this fantasy Pisces Sun.  As of August 2008, he has sired 32 winners of Group 1/Grade 1 stakes, 99 winners of group/graded Stakes races and 166 Stakes winners worldwide who have earnings in excess of $115. million.  He was still the leading sire of stakes winners in North America in 2005.

     On May 13, 2008, at the age of 25, Storm Cat was pensioned from stallion duty and will remain at Overbrook Farm in Lexington where he can enjoy his well earned retirement, munching happily on lush grass and sopping up horse morsels from his feed bucket.

     The 1980’s and 1990’s were good to the horse industry and to all those connected to Overbrook Farm, because their charts over the years had great successes attached to them.

     W.T. Young, founder of Overbrook Farm died January 12, 2004.  He was born with an Aquarian Sun February 15, 1919. 

     On June 9, 2009 Bill Young, Jr. stated that he would completely disperse the farms yearlings, breeding stock and the majority of horses in training at Keeneland’s September yearling sale.  He was quoted as saying, “over a period of more than 30-years, my father developed Overbrook Farm into one of the most successful and respected breeding operations in the world.”  Since Young, Sr. entered the racing world in the late 1970’s; the cycle of Saturn was in Virgo late July 1978 to late September 1980.  The next cycle of Saturn in Virgo started early September, 2007 and is about to exit that sign October 29, 2009 with a return to late degrees of Virgo
April 8, 2010 to July 21, 2010…it is appropriate that Mr. Young Jr. say good-bye to a 30-year cycle that is Overbrook’s Saturn Return.
Page 4  Pluto Transforms the Horse Industry

     The most recent Overbrook Farm, LLC chart shows Pluto to transit in their First House and with Sagittarius Rising and a conjunction to their Pluto; indeed Overbrook Farm has a superior chart at this time and indeed the wheels of this Saturn cycle has ground to a halt.  None of us will ever forget William T. Young, the outstanding breeder of his time, along with
Edward Plunket Taylor, who gave us Northern Dancer; both men were Aquarian Sun signs, independent, 100 years ahead of their time, advanced thinkers that put their new ideas into practice.

     Thirty years ago, covering 100 mares in a year was almost unheard of, according to the Jockey Club 3,439 stallions covered 56,901 mares in North America during 2008.  These matings have resulted in 31,727 live foals in 2009 reported to the Jockey Club on Live Foal Reports received as of September 9, 2009.

     When Pluto was in Scorpio, the registered foal crop was between 32,118 to 40,333; Pluto in Sagittarius, brought between 31,884 to 35, 028 and now that Pluto is in Capricorn, 2009 to date registers 31,250.

     This Pluto in Capricorn cycle is going to take a lot of getting used to.  Leaders in the horse industry will make decisions based on the best interests of the horse and not just say that, but set examples.  New beginnings – include an industry that needs to become well-organized, especially the business end of it, founded on the same ideals and principles of W.T. Young and E.P. Taylor.  Otherwise, it’s like my friend “Pete” who works at my favorite breakfast place, Freeport Café’ says, “it’s like playing darts and hoping for a Bull’s Eye every time,” and as we Maine folks know, that doesn’t happen.