Kentucky Derby: Pedigree preview

For two blue-blooded colts whose dams are sisters and bred on opposite sides of the world to line up in America’s biggest Classic, both with live chances of winning, is a narrative that must be explored.

As with our domestic Classics, if not more so, the Kentucky Derby can be career-defining for each and every horse and human connected to the winner. Last year's winner Mage is from the first crop of Good Magic whose stud fee rocketed from $50,000 to $125,000 after his exploits at Churchill Downs.

Mage's dam Puca changed hands for $2.9 million carrying a full brother to the Derby winner six months after his historic win. Part owner Ramiro Restrepo arrived on the European Sales circuit with a spring in his step and became a welcome addition to the buying ranks, eager to reinvest. Who will be the fortunate beneficiaries this weekend?

The importance of the race is scarcely more evident when looking at the investments made in Derby prospects at the American sales. Second favourite on the morning line prices, Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) is doing exactly what he was purchased to do in lining up here on the back of a G1 prep success in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. A cool $2.3 million yearling price tag is a lofty one to pay back and victory in the most coveted American Classic of all would reach far beyond that.

One of his key rivals is Japan's unbeaten UAE Derby winner Forever Young (Real Steel) whose dam was acquired by Katsumi Yoshida privately following her G2 Santa Ynez success for what we can only assume was a notable sum.

The cost of acquisition tells just a fraction of the intertwined tale of those two colts who will simultaneously bid for their place in racing immortality this weekend. Sierra Leone is from the third crop of the indomitable Gun Runner meaning a win here would represent yet another noteworthy achievement. Typically one of the weaker crops for every stallion, it would prove a further boost for Gun Runner who has already leapt from $70,000 (when Sierra Leone was bred) to his present fee of $250,000.

On the contrary, Forever Young is from the second crop of his sire Real Steel who began life at Shadai Stallion Station for 2 million Yen - approximately $12,500. His fee has crept up gradually to this season’s peak of 3 million Yen (approx $19,000).

As we are not privy to the private amount required to secure Forever Young’s dam, we can only acknowledge her $8,000 yearling tag and subsequent failure to sell as a two-year-old for $65,000. She proved worth a lot more than that when winning at Grade 2 level and indeed has boosted her value with her fourth foal and Derby contender Forever Young.

Before that, her pedigree enjoyed a timely boost with her three parts sister Heavenly Love (Malibu Moon) striking at the highest level in the G1 Alcibiades Stakes, the year after she was sold. Given Forever Darling had been exported from America to visit Frankel the very same year, the Yoshida family would undoubtedly have felt vindicated in their decision to invest.

The resulting filly Mon Favori (Frankel) won three times, and subsequent matings with perennial Champion Deep Impact and his paternal brother Heart’s Cry did no better. Quelle surprise then that rookie Real Steel who is yet another feather in Deep Impact’s cap seems to have clicked best with Forever Darling.

It should not come as any surprise however to a pedigree buff that Real Steel has produced a potential star at an early stage and indeed one who shone on Dubai World Cup night. He enjoyed his own top flight success in the G1 Dubai Turf and boasts a deep and classy pedigree of his own.

A grandson of Sunday Silence, it would be befitting were Japan’s first ever Kentucky Derby victor to descend from the breed shaping winner of the race in 1989 who they famously took a chance on when he proved unpopular amongst American breeders. Real Steel is a full brother to Japan’s darling Breeders’ Cup winning mare Loves Only You and his third dam is none other than Blue Hen Miesque – think Kingmambo, East Of The Moon, Alpha Centauri, Study Of Man to name just a few of the Champions she is responsible for.

While the Japanese will be thrilled in Real Steel’s stud career and equally as thrilled their young mare Forever Darling’s pedigree is enjoying a revival, how ironic if it were to be key rival Sierra Leone who foiled their invasion on this occasion. For shortly after Heavenly Love earned her Grade 1 spoils, she was sent to Gun Runner and the resulting foal turned out to be the $2.3 million sales topper Sierra Leone.

Bittersweet might come to mind if Sierra Leone puts in his customary late charge down the stretch to collar the typically prominent runner Forever Young in the ‘Run for the Roses’ this Saturday. The pair share a second dam in Darling My Darling meaning their dams, both by sons of A P Indy, are sisters. A very rare feat for any pedigree, you can be certain that if Sierra Leone is the one to stop the Japanese, the pedigree update will provide little consolation.

Watch with intrigue as two of the breeding global powerhouses come head-to-head on the most important Saturday in these colt’s lives. This is far from a two horse race with morning line favourite none other than Champion Juvenile Fierceness (City Of Light), but in the event that these two colts are battling to the wire, it would be tragic to miss the compelling connection they share.

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