One of the big complaints I hear from racing fans is that we lose so many great horses to the breeding barn after their 3-year-old seasons. Efforts have been made to keep stallions on the track: the addition of many more rich races for the veterans, the so-called Gural rule, which declared that offspring of a stallion who did not race at 4 (unless injured) could not race in older stakes at the Meadowlands, Tioga or Vernon Downs, and other initiatives. The Gural rule was well-intentioned, but as editor Derick Giwner pointed out in these pages way back in December of 2022, "In theory, almost everyone can agree that the sentiment behind it - which is to keep the male stars of racing on the track through their 4-year-old season - is legitimate, but functionally it has failed to produce the desired results and can leave a bad taste in the mouth of many who purchase rule-restricted yearlings." However, in recent years we have seen a relatively new phenomenon for the U.S. that keeps stallions on the racetrack. They do double duty – racing and breeding. I know some old-timers can tell stories of stallions breeding mares in the shedrow, but I am talking about legitimate breeding operations. Catch The Fire, Mission Accepted, Father Patrick, Sunfire Blue Chip and Great Vintage are just a few of the horses who have done double duty. In Ohio, Breeders Crown champ Gem Quality has already posted three wins this season and has earned nearly as much this year as he did all of last year. His first mare was just confirmed in foal in mid-March. But most of these horses take a different path to double duty. The January announcement that Captain Optimistic would double-up with breeding and racing responsibilities this season caught everyone's attention, perhaps more than most.  As Joe Savare from the Captain Optimistic Syndicate said, "Short story - we wanted to improve on his portfolio. His best racing per Nancy [Takter, trainer] was late in the season. We figured we would put him back on the track. As well as he did, how could it hurt? Maybe we get some more big race wins." Mike Gulotta, the owner of Deo Volente Farms, pointed out Captain Optimistic will be taking a slightly different track than Gem Quality. "We always thought he was a good horse with great stallion potential. Adding accomplishments will make him even more attractive. Plus, he is an outstanding-looking individual," said Gulotta. "He is very professional and easy to get along with, making it easier.  I've bred him to a few good mares. 50-60 mares would be a good number. I don't want to overuse him. The first mare he bred got in foal the first time. He is efficient and averages 12 billion sperm per collection [the average ejaculate is 4-12 billion]. We did this with Wishing Stone several years ago, too, and it worked out quite well." As Captain Optimistic's trainer Nancy Takter commented, "We don't really do anything different with him. It's important that they take good care of themselves and maintain good weight. Sometimes when they are jumping [mounting a dummy mare to have sperm collected] they can get sore in the hocks or stifles. As a result, he will probably only breed 40-50 mares, no more than 60." This tends to be the norm for these stallions. Breeding season is nearly over by the time the top races like the Graduate for 4-year-olds come around. There is only about six weeks of overlap, so the Captain Optimistic plan is similar to what Charles Taylor of Standing Stallions did with Catch The Fire, who bred and raced at ages 4 and 5. "With [Catch The] Fire we were not sure as a 4-year-old how he would be on the Grand Circuit," he said. "So, we kept him on a light schedule to start with. We were not going to let him get beat up as a racehorse, so he bred 86 mares first year, then the breeding season was basically done and then the big races began." As to deciding what horses can handle the situation, Taylor is firm, saying, "It takes a unique type of horse to be able to do it. The stallion has to show professionalism and good demeanor. They have to be very intelligent to take on both duties. It is a trait that if it passes to the babies, you have something special." ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter And that is why Taylor is truly excited about Breeders Crown champ Gem Quality, who stands his first season this year in Ohio, with a stud fee established by private treaty or negotiation. "With Gem Quality we originally planned to breed no more than 40-50 mares, but he is very fertile. He has been at 21 billion [sperm per ejaculation], so we might go as high as 60 mares," said Taylor. "Everybody who sees him on the track likes him. Virgil Morgan Jr., his trainer, said 'There may be some that look as good as him, but there's none that look better.'" Asked if "private treaty" instead of setting a fee could be a negative, Taylor replied, "It gives me more control. It probably strikes some folks as negative, but we want quality mares. We would prefer fewer mares of greater quality." As to double duty, Taylor said it has overall been good for Gem Quality. "With Gem, I think it has helped him. It has helped his focus. It did change our schedule, giving him a week and a month off instead of racing straight through." One of the more interesting double-duty stallions I came across was Sunfire Blue Chip (full disclosure, within a week of you reading this my mare Maggie's Way should give birth to a Sunfire Blue Chip foal). He raced and bred from the time he was 5 through his 10 year-old season, although he serviced a relatively small number of mares from 6 through 10 in New Jersey. Brielle Roman worked with Sunfire Blue Chip and Great Vintage when they were in the Jimmy Takter stable (and after he retired, Gary Candell). "They were two of the first horses I ever groomed, so I thought it was normal," said Roman about breeding and racing at the same time. "We would usually collect early in the week and then race on the weekend. Sunfire was always a gentleman with a pleasant attitude. He never even acted studdy!" The same could not be said for Great Vintage, as Roman explained, "It did a lot to improve Great Vintage's attitude, as he could be a cranky horse. He always was much more pleasant and enthusiastic after he got collected. He had the turn into Walnridge [Farm] memorized. As soon as you turned into their driveway, the trailer would start rocking and he'd start screaming." And that brings up an important issue with these double-duty studs - logistics. Even though Sunfire Blue Chip, Great Vintage and Captain Optimistic are/were stabled at the Takter Farm, collection takes place at Walnridge Farm, which is only about 10 or 15 minutes away, making things pretty convenient. Catch The Fire stands at Sugar Valley Farms, just a stone's throw from the Delaware County Fairgrounds, which host the Little Brown Jug. His pattern was only slightly different, as was Mission Accepted's. "With Fire we hired Cam and Jessica McCown, and they trained him in Delaware. They picked him up and I would collect him and send him back to the fairgrounds, but he would spend weekends here at the farm at 4 and 5," said Sugar Valley Farms' Joe McLead. "We did the same with Mission Accepted for the Burkes. Ronnie Steck prepped him at Delaware. They got plenty of time off, and then they prepped to race since their major stakes were later in the year. I don't think it's a problem for anyone racing and breeding." Gem Quality's routine is a bit different. He is stabled at trainer Virgil Morgan's Winner's Circle training facility, south of Columbus in Ohio. He stands at Abby Farms, which is a two-hour ship. "Virgil leaves someone with him and he is on a truck right back. He is smart and takes care of business," said Charles Taylor. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues, but everyone I talked to believes it is an overall positive for the sport. Taylor said, "It's absolutely good for the sport. Stallions get syndicated and it is just a money play – keep them in front of the public." Gullotta added, "When a stallion retires, people forget about the horse. If he is racing and breeding, he will be front and center. We need our heroes. I remember Cam Fella. I remember Lis Mara. He didn't come into his own until 4 and 5. He won the Canadian Pacing Derby in 2006 and 2007. That's exciting. I would love to have the same for Captain Optimistic." That's it for this time. Now go cash. Hopefully on a stud who is doing double duty like Gem Quality or Captain Optimistic AND on one of their offspring.