By Elaine Belval
It’s hard to believe it is a new year, as 2010 passed in one big rush for me. And I am sure it passed in a rush for many 2010 freshman sires.
The stallion business can be brutal. And If a stud doesn’t cut it early (especially for a stallion in Kentucky), well, off he goes. So, to stay viable, a stallion has to make an early impact, with as many runners and winners and stakes winners as soon as possible.
Badge of Silver waited until December 31st to have his first SW, and then he immediately added his second on January 1st, 2011.
Badge of Silver is a son of the very good sire Silver Deputy. Silver Deputy was a surprise hit as a stallion and late in his career sired Posse (currently at stud in New York after standing at Vinery in Kentucky) and the very good (and unfortunately prematurely deceased) Archers Bay.
As a racehorse, Badge of Silver broke his maiden in his first start at Keeneland. He won the G3 Risen Star S. at three, the G2 New Orleans H. at five and the G2 San Gabriel H. at six.  At four and at six, he finished second in the G1 Cigar Mile. A multiple SW on both dirt and turf, he retired with more than $1,000,000 in earning and went to stud in 2006 for the reasonable fee of $12,500. He was well supported and had more than 100 foals in his first crop in 2010.
With the early runners by Silver Deputy and his son Posse, it was likely expected that Badge of Silver would sire precocious runners. He did sire a respectable 17 winners with four repeat winners. But, Badge of Silver earned his best victories as an older runner going nine furlongs. And his broodmare sire is Silver Hawk, a very solid classic influence in pedigrees (the average winning distance of his stakes winners is almost 10 furlongs).
Now that the distances are lengthening, the quality of Badge ofSilver’s runners is showing. On December 31st, the colt Silver Medallion won the eight furlong Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita. He was bred by Brereton C. Jones and is owned by Michael J. Ryan. And on January 1st, the just turned three-year-old King Congie won the nine furlong Tropical Park Derby at Calder Race Course for owner West Point Thoroughbreds and breeder Bob Austin.
This is certainly very promising for Badge of Silver, and he figures to have better runners this year.
Badge of Silver stands at Airdrie Stud in Kentucky and his 2011 fee is $7,500.
(Elaine Belval is senior pedigree analyst at WTC.)