Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. And if not rosebuds, then Hall of Fame trainers–or, come to that, Girvin foals.During his lifetime, some of us risked vexing the most self-effacing of trainers by suggesting that those preceding him to the Hall of Fame would consider the distinction devalued until also shared by John Shirreffs. Others, no doubt, felt equally impatient on behalf of Christophe Clement. In the event, however, their induction was poignantly entrusted to their respective widows.But we're all human and diffidence about demonstrating affection, while we can, is a very human failing. Often, indeed, we transfer its expression to our animals instead. That being so, then at least I can comfort myself that I publicly declared a love of Girvin, as well!What heartbreak must be overwhelming the farm that just lost this horse, out of nowhere at 12, on the very brink of stardom. Those who know its president and general manager will be certain that they will soon discover another to extend Airdrie's long record in developing impactful stallions. That's because the professional attributes required, to keep doing that, are in their case underpinned by something baked into Airdrie by its late founder: namely, exceptional character. Gentlemen, you will bounce back!As it happens, Girvin was on such a roll that Airdrie–who stood him in partnership with Brad Grady–had actually released the brakes it tends to apply to its roster. Most farms that give you a chance on fees expect you to tolerate catalogue inundation in return, but this one has tried longer than most to control books as well. That's a difficult balancing act, in this day and age. But the exception evidently made for Girvin, this spring, does at least mean that his legacy will continue to grow over the years ahead.If his posthumous crops maintain the momentum of his current juveniles, the first conceived after his switch from Florida, then his loss will come to seem still more grievous.Girvin after winning the GI Haskell Stakes with Robby Albarado aboard, who sadly passed away himself Aug. 4 | Sarah AndrewUnsurprisingly, the midsummer table of leading juvenile sires is dominated by freshmen, whose frantic bid to seize their moment depends on precocious action. As noted last week, nobody sensible will be impressed by mere aggregate, without the context of ratios, but Girvin's first Kentucky crop is holding its own by any measure. The only stallion with more juvenile winners to date (13) has already fielded 41 starters; Girvin's 10 come from 24, and already include two stakes scorers.Back in his own rookie season, of course, Girvin showed the Kentucky upstarts how to launch a stud career with a crop sired at Ocala Stud at just $7,500. Its graduates included Grade I winners Faiza and Dorth Vader, besides dual Grade II winner Damon's Mound, earning their sire a transfer in 2023 from one exemplary family firm to another.Girvin's second Kentucky-bred stakes winner, following 15 cheaply conceived by Florida mares, landed a dirt sprint at Delaware just a day after the news of his death. (In fact, Girvin left us four winners over the weekend.)Tatters was retained by Dorothy Alexander Matz at $22,000 when offered as a weanling, but actually has a pedigree commensurate with that of his breeder. (Which is, of course, saying plenty.) Tatters is the first foal of an unraced Arrogate half-sister to Tequiltia (Union Rags), trained (like Tatters) by her breeder's husband to win three graded stakes. Their dam, GII Chilukki Stakes winner Sangrita (Mr. Greeley), was a sibling to Offlee Wild and also to the dam of two Group winners in Europe. But even that is only the tip of the iceberg, because the next dam was a Seattle Slew half-sister to none other than Dynaformer.Dynaformer, though carrying royal Darby Dan blood, had to earn his stripes from $5,000 before reaching $150,000. It did look very much as though Girvin was at least going to echo that inheritance. There will surely be a scramble for his remaining stock. One of his daughters made the second highest price at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale, while another brought $650,000 at Saratoga on Monday. A bit like the Hall of Fame, better late than never. HUGHES COULD STRETCH OUTObviously Girvin was unlikely to follow quite as steep a curve as Into Mischief. But it's worth noting that we would never have had the champion sire if his dam hadn't visited Airdrie.The first stakes winner in Into Mischief's latest crop of juveniles, runaway GIII Best Pal winner Hughes, also has a tangential connection to Girvin's latest stakes winner in that he is out of a mare by Union Rags, who was trained by Michael Matz.Hughes | BenoitHer name was K P Dreamin, and she was actually twice Grade I-placed as a juvenile. Those were admittedly somewhat “catalogue” distinctions: on both occasions she was third of five, in one case beaten a dozen lengths. But she was out of a sister to GI Pacific Classic winner Go Between (Point Given), from a family of classy turf performers branded by the international influence Yellow God (GB)–starting with the next dam Mediator (Ire), Group/graded-placed both sides of the water.She was by Caerleon, whose sire Nijinsky also gave us the granddam of Union Rags. That underpins the stamina brands behind each of the first three dams of Hughes, each being by a Classic winner over 12 furlongs: Union Rags and Point Given in the Belmont, Caerleon in the Epsom Derby.That augurs well for Hughes becoming the latest son of Into Mischief, since the upgrading of his mares, to stretch out his speed–rather better, certainly, than might be surmised from his frontrunning blitz over six at the weekend. MOMENTUM FOR CORNICHEAirdrie was also where Uncle Mo was conceived: yet another credit to the legacy of Governor Jones, sometimes out of left-field.Corniche | Sarah AndrewAs will be true of Girvin, Uncle Mo bequeathed a bumper final crop. Some of its 156 live foals are now reaching the yearling sales, but meanwhile his penultimate crop has produced a promising talent for the same trainer as Hughes: Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes winner Salahudin, whose third dam is none other than Weekend Surprise (Secretariat).Yet another Bob Baffert debut winner to follow up in stakes company at the weekend, GIII Sorrento Stakes scorer Holmby (Corniche), reminds us that he first made his name with relatively cheap horses.Holmby changed hands for just $28,000 as a weanling before being picked out for Talla Racing by Kim Lloyd for $55,000 at Fasig-Tipton the following July. She had been in utero when her dam Candida H. (Lemon Drop Kid) was bought by Brad Boyer for $35,000 at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale. That modest price reflected a quiet start to her breeding career, as she's a stakes winner out of a full-sister to Include–yet another wholesome Airdrie brand.Holmby is the first graded stakes winner this year by a freshman. As the first with a second black-type winner, too, Corniche is certainly coping manfully with the burden of gold on our “Value Podium” for his price bracket last winter. SMART WORK AT THE DOUBLEAnother Lemon Drop Kid mare, Iadoreakid, is responsible for the winner of GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes, Bottas (Vekoma)–a very apt winner, too, from the Clement barn.Bottas | Sarah AndrewIadoreakid has already produced Parenting (Justify) to win all three of his starts, including a stakes, having herself won her only race for breeder Sam-Son Farm. She was subsequently culled, representing as she did a family much in evidence in their broodmare band: her fourth dam is matriarch Classy 'n Smart (Smarten).But it remains one into which any breeder would be grateful to tap, as evinced by the other graded stakes winner on the same card. For GII Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks winner Kentucky Belle (Justify) represents another fertile intervention in this clan by the sire of Parenting. Her third dam is Classy 'n Smart's champion daughter by Danzig, Dance Smartly. A good day's work for an evergreen dynasty.The post Breeding Digest: A Dream In Tatters appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.