Derby Hopeful: Revolutionary

Derby Hopefuls feature the horses I view as the best contenders leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Each horse spotlighted in a Derby Hopeful will join the 2013 PTG Derby Hopeful roster, found on the right side of the blog. Horses will be listed in an order that corresponds to how highly I think of them, with the horse I think most highly of ranking at the top. A horse featured in a Derby Hopeful may be taken off the roster if its performances after its article are published are not up to par or if that horse is taken off the Triple Crown trail, though those articles will remain on my blog.

Saratoga in the summer is a land of promise for juvenile Thoroughbreds. Any impressive performance from a talented two-year-old often lands a horse on watch lists, with hopes focused upon the Kentucky Derby (GI), several months and more than 800 miles away. But it is typical for just the outstanding maiden winners to land themselves a position on watch lists, leaving the horses that ran well but did not find the winner’s circle to frequently be abandoned.

However, that is not the case for Revolutionary. Despite not winning his debut at Saratoga on closing day, Revolutionary earned himself a place on my list, being featured in a Juvenile Spotlight in September. Suffering a poor break from the gate, in which he was slammed into, Revolutionary was forced to check in the early stages of the five and one-half-furlong maiden special weight. The short distance of the race made it difficult for Revolutionary to regain his momentum, but despite also going wide prior to running greenly, the colt closed remarkably to finish a game third.

Following a runner-up finish at Belmont and a third-place result at Aqueduct, Revolutionary finally broke through with his first victory. Going to post in a one-mile maiden special weight over Aqueduct’s inner oval, Revolutionary settled just off the leaders and as the field neared the quarter pole, the colt surged to the lead and never looked back, coasting to a magnificent 8 ½-length victory that was just .73 seconds off the track record.

With his dominant triumph, Revolutionary turned heads as hopes for the Derby soared higher and higher. He made his graded stakes debut in his initial start as a three-year-old, the Withers Stakes (GIII) at Aqueduct. Breaking alongside Valid, who miraculously stayed up after a terrible stumble at the start, Revolutionary found a position along the rail near the rear of the field. The WinStar Farm-owned colt maintained a ground-saving trip down the backside, a handful of lengths separating him from the leader. The colt appeared full of run as the field approached the far turn, but he remained at the rear, a wall of horses in front of him. Revolutionary began to gain ground under minimal urging from Javier Castellano, departing his position on the rail to gallop around adversaries. But the Todd Pletcher trainee was force to weave his way through traffic and once he found room to run, the colt shot forward, accelerating in eye-catching fashion to find room between horses and win the race by a neck.

Revolutionary clearly has tremendous talent and ability to overcome trouble, but he also receives support from his pedigree. A son of the late 2007 Champion Two-Year-Old Male, War Pass, Revolutionary is a member of the first crop of his ill-fated sire, who died in 2010. War Pass was a result of the mating between Cherokee Run, a champion sprinter who produced nearly fifty black-type winners, and a black-type-placed Mr. Prospector mare, Vue. Though this side of Revolutionary’s pedigree suggests that he is limited to short distances, the colt receives assistance for stamina from his dam side.

The dam of Revolutionary is the grade one-winning Runup the Colors, an earner of $555,024. As a three-year-old, Runup the Colors won the ten-furlong Alabama Stakes (GI) at Saratoga. She is also the dam of Tafaseel, runner-up in the 2003 Jerome Handicap (GII), run at a mile, and Ice Road, who finished third in the nine-furlong Ohio Derby (GII). Revolutionary is sure to gain stamina from not only his classic-winning dam, but the ancestry from which his dam descends.

Revolutionary’s broodmare sire is A.P. Indy, a son of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew that won the 1992 Belmont Stakes (GI) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI). As a sire, A.P. Indy has produced nearly thirty grade one winners, including the outstanding distance horses Bernardini, Mineshaft, Music Note, and Rags to Riches. He has also proven to be a top broodmare sire of routers, yielding the dams of the likes of Bluegrass Cat, Super Saver, and Wait a While.

Notably, Revolutionary descends from a dam line abounding with Reine de Course mare, as he is a direct descendant of the legendary broodmare La Troienne, who is also found in the tail female line of the Derby winners Go for Gin, Sea Hero, Smarty Jones, and Super Saver. The nearest Reine de Course mare in Revolutionary’s dam line is his granddam, Up the Flagpole, a daughter of another Reine de Course mare in The Garden Club. Up the Flagpole was a graded stakes-winning runner who produced three grade one winners: Flagbird – a European champion who won at ten furlongs on two occasions; 2003 Broodmare of the Year Prospector’s Delite – a two-time grade one winner at or beyond a mile who produced the grade one winners Mineshaft (a Horse of the Year that won at ten furlongs twice) and Tomisue’s Delight (who won a Saratoga grade one at ten furlongs); and the aforementioned Runup the Colors, Revolutionary’s dam.

The sire of Revolutionary’s third dam, The Garden Club, is Herbager, a French champion who was excellent at long distances, winning the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud (GI) – run at 2,400 meters – and the Prix du Jockey Club (GI) – run at 2,100 meters.

Despite his speedy top side, Revolutionary clearly has a pedigree for distance. An absolutely beautifully bred colt, Revolutionary may be the bravest horse on the Derby trail, as he has proven many times that he can run well despite suffering a troubled trip. Time will tell just how good this colt is, but the sky is the limit for this colt.

Juvenile Spotlight: Jocosity and Fortify

The Distorted Humor sire line has proven to be a very productive one. Not only has it provided us with numerous grade one victors, but it has given us two of the most impressive maiden winners at the Saratoga meet yet in Jocosity and Fortify. Both two-year-old colts dominated their races, coasting to imposing victories and instilling racing fans with hope that they could be future superstars.

Jocosity

Yet Todd Pletcher juvenile to win in remarkable fashion at Saratoga, Jocosity dominated a two-year-old maiden special weight at the Spa on Friday, August 3. Though his name relates to humor, there was nothing humorous regarding his impressive victory on Friday. With his win, Jocosity displayed that he could very well join the likes of the champions Big Brown and Uncle Mo – horses that strikingly broke their maidens at Saratoga prior to becoming a champion. Those are large shoes to fill for Jocosity, but he could certainly become a top racehorse.

Jocosity broke extremely sharply, going immediately to the lead beneath John Velazquez. With his outside post, Jocosity was forced to race wider than the others, but stayed near the lead as the juveniles continued down the backstretch. First-time starter Judge Wiley pressured him from the inside, but by the time a quarter of a blistering 21.79 had been set, Jocosity had opened up a one-length advantage that was widening.

As Velazquez remained stationary aboard him, the bay colt approached the homestretch with a blossoming lead on the six others. As Jocosity neared the conclusion of the far turn, Solis glanced behind him to evaluate the advancement of their rivals. But there were no real threats.

Velazquez set down on him as they reached the stretch, but it was only a learning experience for Jocosity. The others had no chance. Despite running a tad greenly, Jocosity continued to open up on the field, sailing to the wire with ease. Crossing the wire 7 ½ lengths in front, Jocosity posted an impressive final time of 1:02.85 – just 0.34 seconds off the track record.

Prior to breaking his maiden, Jocosity had contested twice – both starts coming twice over Woodbine’s all-weather track. In his first start, which came this June in a four and one-half-furlong maiden special weight, Jocosity did not come away from the gate well, breaking inward abruptly. He sat off of the pace set by Bear’s Fur while racing wide and was unable to catch that horse in the stretch, finishing second by 1 ½ lengths.

Interestingly, Jocosity already has stakes experience. In his second start, the colt finished second in the Clarendon Stakes at Woodbine in a trip that saw him stumble and come in contact with another horse at the start. Despite the troubled he endured, Jocosity crossed the wire in second. The fact that Jocosity’ s connections had enough confidence in her ability to send him into a stakes race in just his second start and before he had even won is very encouraging.

Not only has Jocosity been impressive on the track, but he is remarkably bred as well. Bred on a cross similar to that on which the graded stakes winners Cowtown Cat and Shumoos were bred, Jocosity has a pedigree fit for a gifted Thoroughbred.

Jocosity’s sire is Sharp Humor, a graded stakes-winning son of Distorted Humor who came within a half-length of defeating the late, great Barbaro in the Florida Derby (GI). In his rather young career, Sharp Humor has sired the graded stakes-winning Hero of Order, as well as such black-type winners as Angelica Zapata, Glint, Mildly Offensive, and Princess Cecilia. Sharp Humor’s sire, Distorted Humor, is one of the best sires in the nation, being last year’s leading sire in North America and the sire of such grade one winners as Commentator, Don Dandy, Drosselmeyer, Flower Alley, Funny Cide, Hystericalady, and Pathfork.

Sobhy’s Gal, Jocosity’s young unraced dam, has also produced the winning filly Tell Her. Her own dam produced Miss Lola, an earner of over $175,000 who contested in three stakes races. The sire of Sobhy’s Gal is Stormy Atlantic, a son of the great Storm Cat. Though relatively new as a damsire, Stormy Atlantic’s future in that department looks bright, as Storm Cat is the broodmare sire of the champions Folklore and Speightstown.

The sire of Jocosity’s second dam is Carson City, the broodmare sire of Barbaro and Havre de Grace. Jocosity is a descendant of the prolific female family four, which has produced the Triple Crown winners Assault and Gallant Fox, as well as the champions Proud Spell, Real Quiet, and Zenyatta.

Perhaps Jocosity’s jaw-dropping maiden victory on Friday was an indication of what the future holds, or maybe we will never see the same brilliance from him again. But with what he has shown on the track thus far, combined with his excellent pedigree, Jocosity could become an intimidating top racehorse that thrills and delights racing fans with his performances. Only time will tell.

Fortify

A regally bred colt, this Darley homebred is a son of Distorted Humor, who, as aforementioned, is the sire of such grade one winners as Commentator, Don Dandy, Drosselmeyer, Flower Alley, Funny Cide, Hystericalady, and Pathfork. Distorted Humor has been ranked as one of the top five leading sires on the continent six of the past seven years, peaking at number one last year.

Fortify’s dam is the English mare Kotuku, who is a result of the mating between the great A.P. Indy and the group one-winning highweight mare Flagbird. This makes Kotuku a full sister to the graded stakes-winning Anasheed, as well as a half-sister to the listed-placed horses Dubai Belle and Marhoob. Flagbird is a daughter of the Reine De Course mare Up the Flagpole, the graded stakes-winning dam of three grade/group one winners, one grade two winner, and four stakes winners. Interestingly, one of those grade one winners is Prospectors Delite, the dam of the champion Mineshaft and the grade one winner Tomisue’s Delight.

Up the Flagpole herself is a daughter of a Reine De Course mare in The Garden Club, who also produced the multiple graded stakes-winning Nostalgia, the stakes-winning Blushing Cathy. This dam line is full of Reine De Course mares, as it is the Baby League branch of the La Troienne dam line. La Troienne, one of the greatest broodmares of all-time, can be found in the dam lines of such horses as the Kentucky Derby winners Go for Gin, Sea Hero, Smarty Jones, and Super Saver, as well as the champions Busher, Caerleon, Easy Goer, Folklore, Mineshaft, Pleasant Tap, Prairie Bayou, Princess Rooney, Rhythm, and Woodman.

Fortify’s broodmare sire, A.P. Indy, only adds to the excellence of this colt’s pedigree. The son of the great Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew has yielded the dams of many top racehorses, including such grade one winners as Bluegrass Cat, Mr. Sidney, Plum Pretty, Royal Delta, Super Saver, and Wait a While. A.P. Indy has been among the top twenty-five damsires on the continent for the past six years, peaking at number four last year.

Fortify’s spectacular pedigree shone through on Saturday, August 4 when he made his debut at Saratoga. Going six and one-half furlongs over the dirt, Fortify was restless in the gate, but broke well, joining a contingent that went to the lead. He took the lead for a short moment, but Boss Man Rocket – the only horse with experience in the eight-horse field – shot up his inside, leading the way as the two-year-olds raced down the backstretch.

Fortify settled beneath Joe Bravo, allowing Boss Man Rocket to lengthen his advantage to a length and one-half as an initial quarter of 21.73 was recorded. The Darley homebred loomed on Boss Man Rocket’s outside, overtaking him as the far turn began. As Bravo sat still aboard him, Fortify commanded the field as the track began to curve. Nearing the conclusion of the turn, Bravo began to urge the bay colt he was aboard, keeping several lengths between his colt and the others as they swept into the homestretch.

With a half-mile time of 44.93 appearing on the toteboard, Fortify galloped into the homestretch with overwhelming ease and dominance, frolicking down the straightaway while the others failed to keep up with him. Bravo kept to work aboard him, but Fortify had the race in hand, galloping to a 5 ½-length victory, leaving racing fans commending his debut as excitement grew within them regarding this colt’s future.

Fortify certainly has future superstar stamped next him in my books. With one of the most impressive, regal pedigrees you could come across and a debut that could not have been much more remarkable, Fortify is a name racing fans should get used to saying, hearing, and reading about. I could rave not only about his bloodlines all day long, but also his racing talent. Though just a two-year-old with only one race under his belt, this Kiaran McLaughlin trainee is a special Thoroughbred.

Part One: 2012 Keeneland April Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale

The Keeneland April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale has produced several successful racehorses, including the champions Big Brown, Lookin’ At Lucky, and Thunder Gulch, as well as the grade one winners Haynesfield and Jersey Town. One hundred sixty-one juveniles were entered in the 2012 sale, down just eight horses from the 2011 sale. The sale, like any Keeneland auction, features many beautifully bred horses that have the potential to become champions.

As mentioned in the recent posts about the Fasig-Tipton Texas Tw0-Year-Olds in Training Sale, I love to study horses entered in sales, analyzing their pedigree, as well as their movement and conformation if possible. Unlike the Fasig-Tipton Texas sale for juveniles, I was not able to attend the under-tack show, which took placed on Thursday, April 5, for this Keeneland sale, but I did watch the video footage of it online. The sale will take place on Monday, April 9.

Listed below are the ten horses I was most impressed with, as well as some honorable mentions:

Hip #8: Medaglia d’Oro has emerged as a very prosperous sire, having produced the great champion Rachel Alexandra, as well as the grade one winners C S Silk, Champagne d’Oro, Gabby’s Golden Gal, Passion for Gold, Plum Pretty and Warrior’s Reward. One of five juveniles sired by Medaglia d’Oro entered in this sale, hip eight is out of the Easy Goer mare Kissing Gate, who has produced six winners from eight runners. Included in those winners is the multiple grade one-winning Magical Fantasy and the stakes-winning Forward Move. This colt is clearly out of a successful broodmare, who herself has a productive dam as well in Love’s Reward, a half-sister to the group one-winning Bassenthwaite. Every foal out of Love’s Reward that made it to the track was victorious, including the group one-winning Keen Hunter and the multiple group stakes-winning Altibr. Hip eight is bred on a cross similar to that on which the grade one-winning Champagne d’Oro is bred, being by Medaglia d’Oro and out of an Alydar granddaughter. This bay colt descends from female family four, which has produced the most Kentucky Derby winners, as well as the champions Man O’ War, Proud Spell, and Zenyatta.

Going an eighth of a mile in 10 2/5 seconds, hip eight displayed a powerful stride with perhaps a bit too much knee action. However, he covered much ground with his impressive drive and impulsion. Yet, he did change leads in mid-stretch, switching to the wrong lead.

Hip eight, consigned by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), agent, is engaged with the European Breeders’ Fund and is Breeders’ Cup-nominated.

Hip #18: It’s no secret that Unbridled’s Song is a force to be reckoned with in the breeding shed. The stud has sired several talented horses, including the brilliant grade one winners Midshipman, Octave, Thorn Song, Unbridled Elaine, and Unrivaled Belle. Due to his outstanding success as a sire, many top mares have visited him, including the grade one-winning Madcap Escapade. The mating between those two resulted in this colt, who is a half-brother to the grade one-winning Mi Sueno and the one million-dollar yearling purchase, California. His second dam, the multiple black type-winning Sassy Pants, in addition to producing Madcap Escapade, was the dam of the grade one-winning Dubai Escapade and the stakes-winning Real Estate. Hip eighteen hails from female family twenty-three, the same family that yielded the Hall of Famers Affirmed, Dance Smartly, Discovery, Tim Tam, and Two Lea.

In this colt’s one-quarter move at the under-tack show, hip eighteen covered two furlongs in a brisk 21 1/5 seconds. Though he carried his head a bit too high, this half-brother to Mi Sueno moved commandingly. However, I would have liked to see a higher lift to his shoulder and a flatter appearance to his knee.

Hip eighteen, consigned by Eddie Woods, agent XLVIII, is a Breeders’ Cup-nominated Kentucky-bred.

Hip #41: Broken Vow has offspring who have earned over $31 million altogether, including the grade one-winning horses Sassy Image and Unbridled Belle. He is the sire of hip forty-one, one of just two juveniles sired by Broken Vow in this sale. This colt is by the winning Tactical Advantage mare, Prime Advantage, whose three runners have all reached the winner’s circle. One of those winners is No Advantage, a multiple graded stakes winner. Hip forty-one not only comes from female family one, but is a direct descendant of the great broodmare La Troienne. Direct descendants of this influential mare include the Kentucky Derby winners Go for Gin, Sea Hero, Smarty Jones, and Super Saver, as well as the champions Busher, Caerleon, Easy Goer, Folklore, Mineshaft, Pleasant Tap, Prairie Bayou, Princess Rooney, Rhythm, and Woodman.

Hip forty-one moved with too much knee action for my liking and galloped erratically in the stretch. Nonetheless, he traveled authoritatively with remarkable drive while finishing his breeze in 10 2/5 seconds.

Hip forty-one, consigned by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), agent, is a Breeders’ Cup-nominated Kentucky-bred.

Hip #44: In 2010, a big gray mare named Unrivaled Belle galloped down the Churchill Downs homestretch to defeat two champions en route to a Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (GI) victory. On April 9, her half-sister will waltz through the Keeneland sales ring. Unlike Unrivaled Belle, Beyond Belle is by the Belmont Stakes (GI)-winning champion Lemon Drop Kid, who has sired the grade one winners Richard’s Kid, Citronnade, Lemons Forever, Christmas Kid, and Santa Teresita. In addition to producing Unrivaled Belle, Beyond Belle’s dam, Queenie Belle, has produced Steven’s Being, an earner of over $100,000. Beyond Belle descends from female family fourteen, the same family that has produced the champions Artax, Orsini, Polynesian, and Skip Away.

This half-sister to Unrivaled Belle traveled powerfully in her one-furlong move, her legs eating up the ground. Her legs stretched out strongly and smoothly as her robust hindquarters thrust her forward with impressive impulsion, allowing her to maintain an attractive frame while traveling an eighth of a mile in 10 seconds flat.

Beyond Belle, consigned by de Meric Sales, agent, is a Breeders’ Cup nominated Florida-bred. She is my top filly selection in the sale.

Hip #69: By the sire of Union Rags in Dixie Union and out of a full sister to the graded stakes-winning Top Notch Lady, this bay colt is certainly bred well. His dam has also produced the graded stakes-winning Bittel Road of her two foals to make it to the track to date. The other horse out of Sultry Sal is a filly that has placed in one of two career starts. From the Dixieland Band sire line and out of a mare that hails from the Cox’s Ridge sire line, hip sixty-nine is similarly bred to the graded stakes-winning Hook and Ladder. This colt descends from female family three, most recently notable for producing the champions Havre de Grace, Midnight Lute, and Summer Bird.

This half-brother to Bittle Road was extremely impressive in his work, which impressed me even more than his pedigree. He covered the one-furlong distance in 10 1/5 seconds with a long, effortless stride, appearing very professional and efficient while thrusting with his hindquarters to drive him forward. He carried his head a bit too high but was still nonetheless a tremendous worker.

Hip sixty-nine, consigned by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), agent, is a Breeders’ Cup-nominated Kentucky-bred.

Hip #115: The late Lawyer Ron will only ever have two crops contest in races and fortunately, he already has a grade one winner in Drill, a colt who has graded stakes success in both his juvenile and sophomore careers. This colt is a full brother to Drill, being by the champion Lawyer Ron and out of a full sister to the graded stakes-winning Magic Storm in Cat Dancer, whose two foals who have made it to the track are both winners. By Lawyer Ron and out of a Storm Cat mare, hip one hundred fifteen is bred on the same cross as not only his full brother Drill, but the black-type winning Andrew’s Girl. His fourth and fifth dams, Luiana and Banquet Bell, are both Reine De Course mares. Banquet Bell was a stakes winner who produced the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes-winning champion Chateaugay and the champion and eventual broodmare of the year, Primonetta. Luiana, Banquet Bell’s daughter, yielded the Preakness and Belmont-winning champion Little Current, the multiple grade one-winning Prayers’n Promises, and the stakes-winning and graded stakes-placed Water Dance. This full brother to Drill descends from female family sixteen, which is most notable for producing the champions Ginger Punch, Herbager, Holy Bull, and Orientate, as well as the grade one winners Barbaro and Hard Spun.

This full brother to Drill moved with authoritative motion, traveling powerfully over the ground in his 10 1/5-second one-furlong work as his robust body galloped before prospective buyers. His long, muscular hip allowed his hindquarters to thrust him forward, giving him a lengthy, remarkable stride. His work impressed me most of my top ten horses.

Hip one hundred fifteen, consigned by Eddie Woods, agent XCIII, is engaged with the European Breeders’ Fund and is Breeders’ Cup-nominated. He is one of my top selections of my top ten horses.

Hip #125: This filly has the potential to become a very talented sprinter. By Repent and out of the Thunder Gulch daughter Crowning Touch, this filly is a full sister to the multiple graded stakes-winning and Breeders’ Cup Sprint (GI) runner-up Crown of Thorns. Her dam is a half-sister to the grade one-winning champion sprinter Smoke Glacken, the multiple graded stakes-winning mare Smokey Glacken, the stakes-winning and graded stakes-placed Capote’s Crown, and the graded stakes-placed Argyle Pink. This full sister to Crown of Thorns descends from the most productive family, female family one, which has produced such horses as Azeri, Better Talk Now, English Channel, and Mineshaft.

Hip one hundred twenty-five turned in a remarkable one-furlong breeze, covering the eighth of a mile in 10 2/5 seconds. Though she could have lifted her shoulders more to lengthen and smoothen her stride a bit, the full sister to Crown of Thorns displayed a beautiful frame and daunting drive and impulsion.

Hip one hundred twenty-five, consigned by Kings Equine, agent IV, is a Breeders’ Cup-nominated Kentucky bred.

Hip #133: Harbor View Farm yielded royalty with Affirmed, the most recent American Triple Crown winner. Affirmed himself also yielded royalty in his daughter, Flawlessly, who was also a Harbor View homebred. The breathtaking bay filly with a unique blaze took the racing world by storm in the 1990s, triumphing in nine grade one turf races. She was voted Eclipse Champion Female Turf Horse two years in a row and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004. As a broodmare, Flawlessly only produced two foals, only one of which ever raced. When that filly died at age four, the other filly, Dreamlike, became the only horse capable of carrying on Flawlessy’s legacy. She succeeded, producing the multiple graded stakes-winning horses Denomination and Woke Up Dreamin. Douanier is a half-brother to these horses, as his sire is Lemon Drop Kid. Douanier’s fifth and sixth dams are Reine De Course mares, Cosmah and Almahmoud. Cosmah was the 1974 Broodmare of the Year and is famous for being the dam of the grade one-winning prolific sire Halo and the champion Tosmah. Almahmoud is one of the most influential mares of all-time, producing not only Cosmah but the stakes-winning Folk Dancer and the Hall of Fame dam of the great Northern Dancer. Other direct descendants of Almahmoud include the Kentucky Derby-winning Cannonade, the group one-winning sire Danehill, and the champions La Prevoyante and Way of Light. The cross of Lemon Drop Kid and Storm Cat mares such as Dreamlike has been quite successful, producing such horses as the graded stakes-winning Khancord Kid. Douanier’s regal dam line stems from female family two, most notable for producing Cigar, Go for Wand, Northern Dancer, Phar Lap, Secretariat, and With Approval.

Douanier was a bit green in his one-furlong breeze, keeping his head cocked while galloping on the wrong lead for the first half of the work. Once he switched leads however, he displayed his commanding stride, impressive drive and impulsion, and beautiful frame. He did move with a bit too much knee action, but this was, for the most part, overshadowed by his long stride in his 10 1/5-second work.

Douanier, consigned by Fedamore Stable LLC, is engaged with the European Breeders’ Fund and Breeders’ Cup-nominated. He is my top pedigree selection, but he did not impress me much with his work.

Hip #148: Champion Big Brown has quickly become a top commercial sire. In fact, one of his sons topped the recent Fasig-Tipton Florida Sale, selling for $1.3 million. In 2009, Big Brown was visited by Golden Lips, a half-sister to the multiple graded stakes-winning Hotstufanthensome, the graded stakes-winning Silver Charades, and the multiple black-type-winning Tacit Agreement. Golden Lips is out of the multiple black-type-winning and graded stakes-placed Don’t Read My Lips, who is out of a full-sister to the champion Sunshine Forever. The mating between Big Brown and Golden Lips resulted in this bay filly, who is similarly bred to the group one winners Minardi and Pomeroy, as all three have Boundary as either their sire or grandsire and are out of mares who descend from the Mr. Prospector sire line. Hip one hundred forty-eight hails from female family four, which is one of the most prolific families. Many of the greatest racehorses of all-time have come from this female family, including Assault, Man O’ War, Ribot, and Zenyatta.

This filly impressively took to the track in her 10-second one-furlong work at the under-tack show, displaying a very imposing stride that covered much ground while remaining fluid. She traveled with tremendous drive and impulsion and had a great lift to her shoulder, allowing her stride to be long. However, she did run greenly in the stretch, running erratically at the commencement of her work before briefly changing to the wrong lead twice in the final sixteenth of her work. Nonetheless, this filly displayed beautiful, strong action.

Hip one hundred forty-eight, consigned by Eddie Woods, agent LX, is a Kentucky-bred engaged with the NTRA and Breeders’ Cup. She is my second top filly selection.

Hip #161: This colt will be the final horse to strut through the Keeneland sales ring on Monday. His sire is the grade one-winning Any Given Saturday, who is the sire of top sophomore filly Princess Arabella. Hip one hundred sixty-one’s dam is the multiple graded stakes-winning mare It’s Personal, the dam of the multiple graded stakes-winning It’s No Joke and the black-type-winning horses Keep Laughing and Mildly Offensive. His sixth dam is Clonaslee, a track record setter who produced a remarkable sixteen winners from eighteen foals. Other direct descendants of Clonaslee, a mare who resided at the prestigious Idle Hour Farm, include the champions Decathlon and My Dear Girl, the grade one-winning Superbity, a multiple stakes winner who went on to be the champion of the great John Henry in Prince Blessed, and the stakes-winning and multiple grade one-placed Nines Wild. This prolific dam line stems from female family twenty-one, which is most notable for producing the champion Gulch, the multiple grade one-winning horses Broad Brush and the ill-fated Exceller, and the Hall of Famer Hanover. Hip one hundred sixty-one, by a son of Distorted Humor and out of a Personal Flag mare, is closely bred to the graded stakes-placed Go Rockin’ Robin. In fact, this cross produced all of It’s Personal’s best offspring.

This colt could’ve kept a slightly flatter knee and lifted his shoulder a bit more in his 10 2/5-second one-furlong work, but he traveled with an attractive frame while keeping his head low. He appeared to be quite efficient.

Hip one hundred sixty-one, consigned by Stephens Thoroughbreds, agent, is a Breeders’ Cup-nominated Kentucky bred.

Honorable Mentions:

Hip #5: By the prosperous Unbridled’s Song and out of the unraced Storm Cat mare Key of Sea, this filly’s second dam is the grade one-winning Key Phrase, who produced this filly’s black-type-winning brother, Yankee Gentleman, a horse who would go on to have success in the breeding shed as well. Key Phrase also yielded the graded stakes-placed Key Deputy, the winning dam of the graded stakes-winning Half Ours, and the unraced dam of the graded stakes-winning Khancord Kid. This Unbridled’s Song/Storm Cat cross has been immensely successful, producing such graded stakes winners as Buddha, Half Ours, Magnificent Song, and Noonmark. Hip five is a female family nineteen descendant, which places her in the same female family as the champions Ancestor, Curlin, and Never Bend.

I found her 10 1/5-second one-furlong work more impressive than her pedigree, as this chestnut filly displayed a good frame while driving strongly from her hindquarters, which aided in her long, smooth stride. Though I would like to see just a bit more lift to her shoulder, I believe hip five had one of the best works of the preview show.

Hip five, consigned by Kings Equine, agent I, is a Breeders’ Cup-nominated Kentucky-bred.

Hip #15: By the grade one-producing champion Kitten’s Joy and out of the High Yield mare Littlebitoflove, hip fifteen is a full sister to his dam’s only runner to date, a winner. Hip fifteen’s second dam, Size Six, is the half-sister to the group two-winning Beaudelaire and the dam of the group three-winning Lady Six, the stakes-placed New Capricorn, the black-type-placed dam of the group one-winning Hot Six, and the dams of two more black-type winners. Though hip fifteen’s full sister only won just over $16,000, the cross this filly is bred on is still impressive. The breeding of Kitten’s Joy and sons of Storm Cat has resulted in the grade one-winning Stephanie’s Kitten, the stakes-winning Major Magic, and the stakes-placed Empire Builder. Other horses sired by Giant’s Causeway and out of the Storm Cat sire line include the grade three-winning Derby Kitten, as well as the stakes-winning and multiple graded stakes-placed William’s Kitten. Hip fifteen descends from the prosperous female family one, which has produced several champions, including Amazombie, Animal Kingdom, Buckpasser, Fleet Indian, Forty Niner, Genuine Risk, and Rachel Alexandra.

In my opinion, hip fifteen’s work was one of the very most impressive breezes at the under-tack show on Thursday. The filly galloped effortlessly and powerfully, exhibiting a beautiful flatness to her knee and imposing drive and impulsion. She completed her one-furlong work in 10 1/5 seconds.

Hip fifteen, consigned by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), agent I, is a Breeders’ Cup-nominated Kentucky-bred.

Hip #98: A sophomore colt that I am very high on, Paynter, is out of a full sister to the champion Tiznow. So is La Madeleine, as well as the stakes-winning and graded stakes-placed Awesome Patriot, the graded stakes-winning Tiz West, the black-type-placed Tizalovelylady, and the late stakes-placed Tizsweetdreams. It certainly pays to be out of a full sister to the two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) victor. The dam of La Madeleine is a winning mare whose two runners to date have both won. One of those victors is Brite Betty, a filly who earned over $150,000. The sire of La Madeleine is the magnificent Medaglia d’Oro, who is a tremendous sire of fillies, having sired such horses as Champagne d’Oro, Gabby’s Golden Gal, Plum Pretty, and the great Rachel Alexandra. As a granddaughter of Cee’s Song, La Madeleine’s sixth and seventh dams are both Reine De Course mares, one of which is the dam of the champion Crimson Satan. This dam line hails from female family twenty-six, which has yielded the Irish Triple Crown-winning Museum, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-winning Trempolino, and the Australian Hall of Famer Gloaming.

She moved rather choppily, traveling with short strides with too much knee action. Nonetheless, she was a commanding mover with powerful impulsion while going a furlong in 10 seconds flat.

La Madeleine, property of Royal Pegasus LLC, is a Breeders’ Cup-nominated Kentucky-bred.

Hip #106: By the productive sire Mr. Greeley and out of the Dayjur daughter Bonnie Byerly, this Irish-bred filly is a half-sister to the multiple graded stakes-winning Diabolical. Though hip one hundred six’s dam has not produced a stakes victor other than Diabolical, all four of her runners have been winners. This filly’s fifth, sixth, seventh, and ninth dams are all Reine De Course mares, one of which is the dam of the grade one-winning Mehmet. This is female family twelve, which has yielded the great horses Cox’s Ridge, Eclipse, Kingston Town, Lexington, and Ouija Board.

Hip one hundred six turned in an incredibly impressive work, displaying very imposing drive and impulsion while going one furlong in 9 4/5, one of the fastest works of the day. Though I would like to see her lift her shoulders a bit more, hip one hundred six was a powerful mover with a correct frame.

Hip one hundred six, consigned by Wavertree Stables, Inc. (Ciaran Dunne), agent XXI, is engaged with the European Breeders’ Fund.

Hip #135: By the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Metropolitan Handicap (GI)-winning Corinthian and out of a half-sister to a champion, hip one hundred thirty-five clearly has a remarkable pedigree. Her dam, an unraced daughter of Tale of the Cat named Dream Street, is a half-sister to the champion sprinter Housebuster and the graded stakes-winning Quero Quero, as well as a full sister to the stakes-winning Cat Buster. Dream Street has produced just one runner so far, a winner of $79,835. Her dam, a stakes winner, was not only capable of producing talented runners, but she was a producer of producers as well. For instance, she produced the dam of the group stakes-winning Deep Sleep and the black-type-winning Live Your Dreams, the dam of the stakes-winning Tax Refund and the graded stakes-placed Unbridled Beauty, and the granddam of the multiple graded stakes-winning Miss Norman. Since hip one hundred thirty-five is a filly, this augurs well for her, as it hints that she may become a spectacular producer herself. It is also very encouraging that, by being bred on the Pulpit/Storm Cat cross, she is similarly bred to the champion Hansen, the grade one winners Careless Jewel, Ice Box, Mi Sueno, Sky Mesa, and Tell a Kelly, and the grade two winners Dancinginherdreams, El Padrino, Mini Sermon, and Parading. This filly hails from female family thirteen, which has produced the great horses Ferdinand, Mr. Prospector, and Seattle Slew, as well as the grade one winners Quality Road and Union Rags.

This filly appeared quite professional in her 10-second one-furlong work, maintaining a nice frame. I would have liked to see more length of stride and more lift of her shoulder, but hip one hundred thirty-five did drive impressively from the hindquarters.

Hip one hundred thirty-five, consigned by Eddie Woods, agent XXXVI, is a Breeders’ Cup-nominated Kentucky-bred.

I must note that, though relatively unimpressed by their pedigrees, I believe hips one hundred twenty-three and one hundred forty-two turned in the best works of the under-tack show. Hip one hundred twenty-three’s upside to his pedigree is that he is a half-brother to a stakes-placed runner in Japan. More notably, however, he had powerful action, exhibiting imposing drive and impulsion, a long stride, a beautiful frame, and tremendous athleticism. Hip one hundred forty-two’s plus in his pedigree is his second dam, a producer of two group stakes winners. Nonetheless, his work was much more remarkable than his bloodlines. He displayed a very long, effortless stride with great lift to his shoulder. Though he briefly changed leads, the chestnut colt presented himself with obvious athleticism.

All of the above-mentioned horses will be featured again after the sale with the prices they went for.

The beautiful Keeneland racecourse, the track over which these juveniles
worked in the preview show on April 5.
Photo: Terri Cage

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Stallion Feature: Super Saver

In 2010, for the first time ever, I watched the Kentucky Derby from the racetrack rather than through the television. It wasn’t Churchill Downs, but it was Lone Star Park. I was helping Remember Me Rescue raise money from a Moneigh ® raffle, standing at a table inside one of the grandstand entrances, where we were selling raffle tickets. As it grew closer to post time for the Run for the Roses, my mother, a friend of mine, and I headed to the third floor of the grandstand to eat dinner. As we settled into our seats that overlooked the track, my eyes focused on the JumboTron where the footage of the Derby was being played.

My top Derby pick – Mission Impazible – couldn’t get the job done and finished ninth. Instead, I was smiling and shaking my head when I realized it was Calvin Borel that had guided Super Saver to victory in WinStar Farm's silks. It had been the jockey’s third Derby win in four years.

Unfortunately, the Kentucky Derby was Super Saver’s last moment of glory on the racetrack. Two months after a disappointing finish in the Travers Stakes (GI), the Derby winner was officially retired due to condylar bruising. He found a new home in WinStar Farm’s immaculate stallion barn in Versailles, Kentucky.

When I visited Kentucky for my first Breeders’ Cup in 2010, I saw the bay while on a tour at WinStar. Since Super Saver had been retired so recently, I hadn’t expected for him to be there yet, so it was quite the treat to see that year’s Derby winner in person. Though new to the laid-back life of a stallion in the fall, Super Saver stood calmly in the stallion’s circle, which allowed me to assess his conformation.

Super Saver
Photo: Terri Cage

The 2010 Kentucky Derby winner has wide-set eyes and a long, thin neck. His neck does not tie into his shoulder perfectly and though his shoulder is slightly steeper than I would like to see, he is a very well-balanced individual with a shorter topline in correlation to a longer underline. He could therefore be easily divided into three parts and is overall very proportional. He is very straight through his knees and has short cannon bones and a desirable slope to his pasterns. Though not massive with muscling, Super Saver possesses quality muscling, as he is deep through the V and has great delineation and smoothness to his forearms and gaskins. Overall, Super Saver has a very smooth, elegant build.

“Derby Champion – Derby Pedigree”

By the 1995 Champion Two-Year-Old Male in Maria’s Mon, Super Saver was the second Derby winner his late sire produced, the first being Monarchos, who ran the second fastest Kentucky Derby ever. Maria’s Mon sired several other grade one winners, including Awesome Maria, Latent Heat, Monba, Monzante, See How She Runs, and Wait a While.

Super Saver’s dam, the Phipps-bred mare Supercharger, is out of a blue hen in Get Lucky - a grade three-winning daughter of the influential Mr. Prospector - and is by one of the all-time great sires, A.P. Indy. Supercharger is a full sister to the grade one-winning Girolamo, the multiple graded stakes-winning Daydreaming, the grade three-winning Accelerator, and She’s a Winner – the dam of the grade one-winning and multiple classic-placed Bluegrass Cat, the multiple graded stakes-winning Lord of the Game, the stakes-winning Sonoma Cat, and the graded stakes-placed Cal Nation. Supercharger is also a half-sister to the group stakes-placed Fighting Brave and the stakes-winning Harborage. Supercharger herself is quite the producer. Not only has she produced a Kentucky Derby winner in Super Saver, who also won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (GII) in stakes record time, but she has also produced the grade three-winning Brethren. It is not surprising that Super Saver has such an incredible dam side, as it directly traces back to the legendary La Troienne.

Super Saver’s first foals will hit the ground in 2012 and he will yet again stand at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Kentucky for $20,000. As a direct descendant of the great La Troienne with sire power to support his magnificent dam side, Super Saver has one of the most imposing pedigrees of any stallion standing at stud. In addition to his spectacular pedigree, Super Saver is a Kentucky Derby winner with elegant conformation. It can’t get much better than that.


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