Norfolk Stakes Re-Match

Only two colts, Chiefs Crown and Capote, have pulled off the Norfolk/Breeders’ Cup Juvenile double since 1984. In the last three years, two Norfolk victors, Street Hero and Lookin At Lucky finished in the money in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile after tough trips.

This year’s renewal of the Norfolk Stakes attracted only five entrants, but the race appears to be a re-match between Del Mar Futurity (G-1) hero Drill and the unfortunate Creative Cause, who was impeded in the stretch by Majestic City during that roughly run contest. Both colts are racing over dirt for the first time.

DRILL (Lawyer Ron - Cat Dancer, by Storm Cat) has won his last two races by a neck. His sire Lawyer Ron was a determined competitor and the dark brown colt appears to have inherited his sire’s tenacity. Drill descends from one of the strongest distaff families in the race. His dam is 1 for 12, but she’s a half-sister to Monmouth Oaks (G2) winner Magic Storm. Fourth dam Luina is a blue hen and fifth dam Banquet Bell is also a blue hen. Preakness/Belmont Champ Little Current and Derby/Belmont Champ Chateaugay plus Kings Bishop Stakes winner and new sire Hard Spun are members of this female family. Drill has taken to the Santa Anita surface and posted a bullet seven furlongs in 1:23 (1/5) in his last work.

CREATIVE CAUSE (Giant's Causeway - Dream of Summer, by Siberian Summer) gave notice that he is a colt to be reckoned with when he easily beat his foes in the Best Pal Stakes (G2) by 1 ¾ lengths. He was the favorite in the Del Mar Futurity, but was squeezed between horses when Majestic City bore out. Creative Cause was granted second place through disqualification of Majestic City. Creative Cause’s pedigree indicates that he should be competitive at longer distances. His sire Giant’s Causeway gets runners over all surfaces and at all distances. Creative Cause’s dam Dream of Summer was a top race mare. She won her maiden at first asking, then developed into a Grade 1 winner, taking the Apple Blossom (G1), A Gleam (G2) and several other stakes races. The pretty gray colt has trained and raced exclusively over synthetic tracks, but he has a pedigree to handle every surface.

RULER OF DUBAI (Tribal Rule - O K Topless, by Old Topper) has shown improvement in his last three starts, which includes a two win race streak against state-bred competition. Ruler of Dubai has a sprinter/miler pedigree and 1 1/16 miles may be at the top of his limit. He is the first foal for his dam who was stakes placed as a two year old. Otherwise, there is little blacktype in this distaff family. The bay gelding has been training at Santa Anita all year, but his latest works are on the slow side.

BASMATI (Borrego - Abruzzi Ridge, by Mountain Cat) is the only maiden in the group. He finished fifth, beaten only 1 ½ lengths in the Del Mar Futurity. His Brisnet speed figures have improved in almost every start and one day he’ll break through with a win, but probably not today. Basmati has a stamina-oriented pedigree and will benefit with time and distance. His sire’s only stakes wins came at 1 ¼ miles, in the Jockey Gold Cup and Pacific Classic. Basmati’s dam went 0 for 4 in her career on the track. She’s a half-sister to Molly Pitcher (G2) heroine March Magic. Basmati should improve with a switch to dirt.

SUPER CANDY (Candy Ride - Zuppa, by Woodman) finally earned a win in a maiden claimer in his tenth start when stretching out to 1 1/16 miles over the Fairplex dirt. His pedigree indicates that he’ll be a late maturing type that could prefer the lawn. Super Candy’s second through fourth dams were all stakes horses so there’s some quality in his background. Super Candy had a three furlong tune-up for the Norfolk, but it’s a big jump from maiden claimers at Fairplex to the top of the heap at Santa Anita.

LOUKIS (Haafhd - Mount Street, by Pennekamp) invades from England. The lightly raced colt won his maiden in early August sprinting over the lawn. Loukis’ pedigree indicates that he’ll be best as a turf router. His sire won the 2000 Guineas at a mile and the Champion Stakes (G1) at 1 ¼ miles. His offspring win from sprints to routes over the lawn. He’s sired five blacktype runners, but no Group/Grade 1 winners in five racing crops. Damsire Pennekamp was a Champion Juvenile in France. His daughters have produced only a handful of stakes winners, including Lilly of the Valley, heroine of the Prix de l'Opera at 1 ¼ miles over the turf. Loukis’ dam won once in five tries, but she’s a half-sister to 2000 Guineas and King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes (G-1) hero Golan. Loukis has recorded one moderate work over the Santa Anita Dirt.

SELECTIONS:

How the track is playing: In an attempt to solve the longstanding drainage issues and to slow the track down, a significant amount of sand has been added to the track surface and the amount of clay has been reduced. The race works appear to be faster, but we won’t know how the surface will play until races are actually run.

DRILL and CREATIVE CAUSE appear almost evenly matched. However, DRILL has posted a bullet work over the Santa Anita dirt and CREATIVE CAUSE gets a jockey switch. Will it matter in the end? Probably not, but these little exceptions have me leaning towards DRILL. RULER OF DUBAI jumps into graded stakes competition, but he proved himself against state-breds last time out and deserves a shot here. His speed figures have been improving steadily and he finally gets to race over his home track. BASMATI should benefit from the switch to dirt and longer race distance. His try in the Del Mar Futurity wasn’t all that bad. If one of the top two falter, Basmati could be right there. Super Candy lacks the class of the top two and Loukis could be another Boxeur Des Rues, who won his maiden in England than shipped in to finish last in the 2010 Norfolk Stakes.

#5  DRILL

#4  CREATIVE CAUSE

#3  RULER OF DUBAI

The New Derby Rules – Does Uncle Mo Fit The Profile?

Over the last twenty years, colts that have been victorious in the Kentucky Derby have followed a fairly specific training pattern. The majority of the Derby winners from 1990 – 2010 made their initial start between June and October and won their maiden between August and November. Only two horses, Fusaichi Pegasus and Monarchos, didn’t win their maiden race until the following January. All except six contenders in twenty years have run in a stakes race as a two year old. Over the last eight years, all except three Derby heroes had a high cruising speed and sat in the first flight of horses. Of those, four had pedigrees considered borderline to get 1 ¼ miles.

Street Sense

Until 2007, the Derby champs started their three year old season in January or February and participated in three or four prep races before the big dance. Things changed in 2007 when Street Sense didn’t start his year until March and had only two prep races. Street Sense had a good two year old foundation. He had five starts and an Eclipse Award under his girth and he could rely on the purse earned from the lion’s share of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

The following year, Big Brown only made one start as a juvenile and didn’t start his journey on the Derby trail until March. Like Street Sense, Big Brown had only two prep races before the Kentucky Derby. Following in the hoof prints of Street Sense, Mine that Bird and Super Saver participated in two races before entering the Derby starting gate. Mine That Bird had his first start in February; Super Saver didn’t make his season debut until March. Of the three, only Big Brown earned his way into the Kentucky Derby off of his three year old earnings. His connections took a gamble and it paid off. A lesser horse would have been excluded from the starting gate.

There’s no question that Uncle Mo is currently the most talented colt of his generation. Besides locking up the Juvenile Championship with his decisive win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Uncle Mo gave an impressive display of speed and determination in the Champagne Stakes. Even though he didn’t beat a very accomplished field, Uncle Mo did it in style. His final time of 1:34.51 was a fifth off of the stakes record, and he tied Seattle Slew for the second fastest running of the Champagne. Unlike Seattle Slew, Uncle Mo fought with rivals every step of the way and showed an extra gear pulling away from an exhausted field.

Let’s take a closer look at this precocious colt’s pedigree.

Indian Charlie - Photo: Tony Leonard

His sire Indian Charlie won the Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles, but in the 1988 Kentucky Derby, weakened in the final furlong and finished third behind his stable-mate Real Quiet. Indian Charlie raced only five times and was retired after the Kentucky Derby due to injury.

 Unfortunately, In Excess, Indian Charlie’s sire, is prone to getting swift but often fragile sprinter/miler types and Indian Charlie is passing these genes along to his progeny. Six of Indian Charlie’s stakes wining progeny have won at 1 1/8 miles, but only Indian Charlie’s daughter Fleet Indian has been successful at 1 ¼ miles. Victorious in the Personal Ensign (G-1) and Delaware Handicap (G-2), Fleet Indian proved that her achievements at the top level of racing was no fluke.

Playa Maya

Uncle Mo’s stakes placed dam Play Maya was in the money in all six starts with earnings of $81,521. The versatile mare won over dirt, turf and placed over off going. She was the only foal produced by the Dixieland Band mare Dixie Slippers. Dixie Slippers achieved three career wins as a sprinter. She’s a half sister to Federico Tesio Stakes (G-3) winner Woods of Windsor and two stakes placed sprinters.

Arch, Uncle Moe’s damsire, won the 1 1/8 mile Fayette Stakes in 1:53.87 setting a new track record at Keeneland. He also took the 1 ¼ mile Super Derby and earned $480,969 in seven starts. At stud, the son of Kris S. is passing along his stamina. His best progeny are Horse of the Year contender Blame, Canadian Female Turf Champion Arravale, English Champion Les Arcs, South African Champion Sprinter Overreaching and multiple Grade 1 winner Pine Island. Both Blame and Pine Island are successful at 1 ¼ miles.

Arch - Photo: Claiborne Farm

Arch is a relatively new broodmare sire. His 70 producing daughters have produced 32 foals with 21 starters and eight stakes winners. Most are miler-types, but Arch’s grandson Blue Exit won the Prix Matchem (Fr. Listed) at 2000 meters (about 1 ¼ miles) over turf. Arch’s pedigree and record at stud indicate that his daughters could pass along stamina influences but it is too soon to make a definitive factual statement that Arch will be a stamina-oriented damsire.

Uncle Moe’s second damsire Dixieland Band was the damsire of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile/Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and five other racers that were successful at 1 ¼ miles. Dixieland Band’s daughters passed along versatility to their offspring with the sire of the progeny often determining how far they would run.

Uncle Mo

Uncle Mo has shown that he is fast, precocious and has the will to win, but his pedigree appears borderline for getting the Kentucky Derby distance. Only time will tell if his talent can deepen with maturity and if he can stay abreast of rapidly developing late bloomers who should relish 1 ¼ miles and beyond. According to trainer Todd Pletcher, Uncle Mo will enjoy some down time in Ocala, Florida before joining the racing stable at Palm Meadows, Florida. Uncle Mo is slated to have two prep races before the Derby.

High cruising speed, borderline pedigree, two starts before the big dance. Uncle Mo fits the profile of a modern Kentucky Derby winner and could become the second horse to take Breeders’ Cup Juvenile/Kentucky Derby stakes.

In the Hoofprints of a Kentucky Derby Contender

Payson Park Training Center

Like snowbirds, promising two year old race horses head south in the fall, usually after the Breeders’ Cup. Many wind up at Palm Meadows Training Center in Delray Beach, Florida or farther north at Payson Park in Indiantown.

Iron Maidens Thoroughbreds will follow the up-and-coming colt To Honor and Serve throughout the winter and spring to give horse fans an idea of the intense preparation needed to get a horse through the Triple Crown prep races. Since To Honor and Serve is still in New York, we’ll review his bloodlines and determine if his pedigree indicates if he can go 1 ¼ miles and longer.

To Honor and Serve as a yearling

To Honor and Serve began his life on March 18, 2008 and was bred by Twin Creeks Farm, Larry Byer and Rancho San Miguel in Kentucky’s bluegrass region. The good-looking colt fetched $250,000 as a 2008 Keeneland November weanling and commanded $575,000 from Live Oak Plantation as a Keeneland September Yearling.

Sent to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, To Honor and Serve began his career on August 4 in a seven furlong dirt maiden race at Saratoga. He found the distance a little too shot, but managed a sharp second place finish to the well regarded Astrology, who would later capture the Iroquois Stakes (G-3) at Churchill. Stretching out to 1 1/16 miles on October 2, To Honor and Serve made short work of a large field of maidens.

To Honor and Serve Maiden Win October 2, 2010

A month later while all eyes were watching Uncle Mo defeat a nice group of colts in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs, To Honor and Serve was quietly crushing an average field of two year olds in the Nashua Stakes (G-2) at Aqueduct. In the Nashua, To Honor and Serve went to the lead and never looked back. He ran a mile in 1.35.86, getting the last quarter in 23.76, while under a mild hand ride.

 Bill Mott, the bay colt’s trainer, elected to keep To Honor and Serve out of the Breeders’ Cup because of the colt’s light racing experience.
 

Nashua Stakes (G-2)

Bernardini

To Honor and Serve has a pedigree that bodes well for next year’s Classics. He is by freshman sire Bernardini out of the Deputy Minister mare Pilfer. Bernardini, a son of A.P. Indy, raced for only one year and made it count. He had the speed to win the Withers’ Stakes at a mile, the Preakness Stakes at 1 3/16 miles and proved himself to be the top three year old with victories in the Jim Dandy at 1 1/8 miles and Travers Stakes at 1 ¼ miles. In the fall, Bernardini defeated his elders in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, but his racing schedule caught up to him in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he finished second to Invasor. 

 At stud, Bernardini is passing his class and talent on to his offspring. Besides To Honor and Serve, the first crop sire’s progeny includes Group 1 winner Biondetti, Grade 1 winner AZ Warrior and graded/group stakes placed Theyskens’ Theory and Stay Thirsty.

Deputy Minster, Honor and Serve’s dam sire, won multiple graded stakes from five furlongs to 1 1/8 miles and was second in the Meadowlands Handicap (G-1) at 1 ¼ miles. In 1981, he earned acclaim as Horse of the Year and Champion Two Year Old Male in Canada, and Champion Two Year old Male in the USA.

Deputy Minister - Photo: Tony Leonard

Deputy Minster failed to win past 1 1/8 miles, but many of his offspring didn’t have distance limitations. He produced Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Awesome Again, Kentucky Oaks heroine Keeper Hill, Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold and Travers Stakes winner Deputy Commander. The remarkable fillies Go For Wand Open Mind and precocious colt Dehere captured Eclipse Awards as Juveniles.

Deputy Minster was a very good sire, toping the leader board in 1997-1998, but he really distinguished himself as a broodmare sire and captured leading broodmare sire honors in 2007. The daughters of Deputy Minster have produced 82 stakes winners, including Belmont Stakes winners Rages to Riches, Jazil and Savara, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Halfbridled, Horse of the Year Curlin, turf star and top sire Redattore.

To Honor and Serve ‘s dam Pilfer won the 1 1/16 mile Go For Wand Stakes and placed in the Instant Racing Breeders' Cup Stakes at a mile. She raced three years with an overall record of 11-3-2-0 and earnings of $126,360. Pilfer made two starts as a juvenile, wining and placing respectively. She won one sprint, and two routes including a win over an off track. Pilfer is a half sister to the swift multiple stakes winning sprinter India. To Honor and Serve’s second dam was a stakes winner and finished second in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes.

To Honor and Serve’s distaff family 4-r is one of the most prolific in the breed. His fourth dam Java Moon is a blue hen (superior female) and her daughters have produced Memories of Silver and her daughter, recent Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf placed runner Winter Memories. Other branches of this family have given us Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos, international sires Dynaformer and Runaway Groom, and the great Zenyatta.

To Honor and Serve - Photo: Coglianese

To Honor and Serve is being pointed to the Remsen Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on November 27. Afterward, he will likely join trainer Bill Mott’s stable at Payson Park for the winter. On paper, To Honor and Serve has a shot to become a legitimate Triple Crown contender and so far has proven to have the talent to be competitive in next year’s prep races. Starting in December, Iron Maidens Thoroughbreds will follow To Honor and Serve’s progress at Payson Park with videos and weekly reports throughout the winter. Until then, we will post weekly reviews of other promising juveniles that may wind up on the Triple Crown Trail.