Pedigree fun facts: 2024 Kentucky Derby

May 01, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

History is on the line in the 150th Kentucky Derby (G1), not only for the contenders themselves, but for their parents as well.

Will Justify, a newly-minted Hall of Famer, become only the fourth Triple Crown champion to sire a Derby winner? Will Puca, the mother of 2023 hero Mage, become the first mare ever to produce two Derby winners? Will leading sire Into Mischief furnish a record-tying third Derby winner?

Let’s explore the fascinating pedigree angles in Derby 150!

Justify could join a super-exclusive club

Justify’s sons Just a Touch and Just Steel will try to add to his ever-burgeoning resume on Saturday. Just a Touch is a lightly-raced improver for Brad Cox, while Just Steel is an experienced veteran for 88-year-old Derby legend D. Wayne Lukas.

If either can snare the roses, Justify would join Gallant Fox (1930), Count Fleet (1943), and Seattle Slew (1977) as Triple Crown stars who sired Derby winners.

Gallant Fox was succeeded by his son Omaha (1935), who swept the Triple Crown himself. Count Fleet’s son Count Turf (1951) was a third-generation Derby winner, since paternal grandfather Reigh Count (sire of Count Fleet) had likewise captured the 1928 Derby. Seattle Slew sent out Swale (1984), who won two-thirds of the crown by adding the Belmont (G1).

Justify would also rank as the 13th Derby winner to sire one. The most recent was Unbridled (1990), whose son Grindstone prevailed in 1996.

Before his attempt for history at Churchill Downs, Justify could get a classic winner across the pond at Newmarket on Saturday morning. His unbeaten colt City of Troy is the odds-on favorite in the 2000 Guineas (G1), the first jewel of the English Triple Crown, and trainer Aidan O’Brien has suggested trying dirt in the Travers (G1) later this summer at Saratoga.

Mage's brother Dornoch hopes to make mom and dad proud

As unusual as Triple Crown-winning Derby sires are, Kentucky Derby-winning siblings (out of the same mare) are unprecedented. Dornoch would rewrite the record book if he can emulate brother Mage, who rallied to a 15-1 upset in last year’s Derby.

Their mother, Puca, is a daughter of 2008 Derby and Preakness (G1) romper Big Brown. Puca was a talented runner in her own right, as a Grade 2-placed stakes winner. An unlucky sixth in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), she was unplaced in the next spring’s Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Both Dornoch and Mage were sired by Good Magic, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) champion of 2017 who was runner-up to Justify in the 2018 Derby. Himself a son of Hall of Famer Curlin, the third-placer in the 2007 Run for the Roses, Good Magic sired Mage in his first crop. He’d make history too if he can follow up straightaway with another Derby winner in his second crop.

Good Magic’s hopes don’t rest only on Dornoch. He also has Society Man to represent him.

That’s why it’s statistically more feasible for top stallions to sire more than one Derby winner in their stud careers: they have scores and scores more foals every year. A broodmare produces just one (in the rare case of twins, they normally don’t develop into major winners); she might not even get in foal, or carry her pregnancy successfully, every season.

In context, it’s a great accomplishment for Puca just to have two high-profile sons good enough to make it into the Derby. It would be amazing if both win.

Into Mischief goes for an historic Derby hat trick

Into Mischief is already among the most successful sires in Derby history with two winners, Authentic (2020) and Mandaloun (2021). If his son Resilience can come through, Into Mischief would tie the all-time sires’ record of three winners.

That exclusive stallions’ club comprises Virgil and Falsetto in the early years, followed by *Sir Gallahad III and Bull Lea in the middle third of the 20th century. Virgil’s three were Vagrant (1876), the great Hindoo (1881), and Ben Ali (1886). Falsetto sired Chant (1894), His Eminence (1901), and Sir Huon (1906).

Gallant Fox led the trio for *Sir Gallahad III, who was later responsible for Gallahadion (1940) and Hoop Jr. (1945). Bull Lea stood at Calumet Farm, the all-time leading owner and breeder in Derby history. His greatest son was Triple Crown legend Citation (1948), and Bull Lea also sired Hill Gail (1952) and Iron Liege (1957).

Yet Into Mischief’s influence on the Derby field extends into a second generation. His sons Practical Joke and Goldencents have runners themselves, as does one of Into Mischief’s daughters.

Practical Joke, fifth in the 2017 Derby, is the sire of Domestic Product. Goldencents, far back in the slop here in 2013, has mud-loving Mystik Dan. Interestingly, both Practical Joke and Goldencents had distance limitations, but their sons are eligible to have more stamina from their mothers’ side.

Quality Road's rooting interests

Into Mischief also factors as the maternal grandfather of Track Phantom. His mother is the Grade 2-winning Into Mischief mare Miss Sunset, who was primarily a sprinter. Track Phantom gets more routing capacity from his sire, Quality Road, the 2009 Derby favorite before being sidelined.

Quality Road is the paternal grandfather of this year’s morning-line favorite, Fierceness. He’s by Quality Road’s $5.6-million earner City of Light, a multiple Grade 1 star who dominated the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Churchill. At the opposite end of the betting spectrum, also-eligible Mugatu is another grandson of Quality Road. He’s by the Quality Road stallion Blofeld.

Uncle Mo seeks to sire a second Derby winner

In addition to Into Mischief and Good Magic, Uncle Mo is the other sire in the field with a Derby winner already to his credit, Nyquist (2016). Nyquist had his own son, Encino, set to go on Saturday until a Derby week setback forced him to scratch.

Uncle Mo’s chance is longshot Grand Mo the First. He is the only one carrying the hopes for his male line, tracing from *Nasrullah’s grandson Caro down to Uncle Mo’s sire, Indian Charlie.

Like Into Mischief, Uncle Mo also appears as a maternal grandfather; his daughter Mo Wicked produced West Saratoga.

Rematch from the 2016 Derby

Ironically, West Saratoga is by Exaggerator, who was runner-up to Uncle Mo’s son Nyquist here before turning the tables in the Preakness. Exaggerator, like Good Magic, is a son of Curlin.

Gun Runner, third to Nyquist and Exaggerator in that Derby, ultimately surpassed them in the racetrack. Voted into the Hall of Fame along with Justify this year, Gun Runner has a terrific shot of Derby glory through his deep-closing son Sierra Leone.

The A.P. Indy factor

Constitution, denied his Derby chance by injury in 2014, can celebrate if his son Catching Freedom rallies in time on Saturday. Catching Freedom is out of Grade 1-placed stakes scorer Catch My Drift, by Pioneerof the Nile. Runner-up in the 2009 Derby, Pioneerof the Nile ensured his place in history by siring 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah.

Constitution’s sire, influential patriarch Tapit, is a scion of the male line of Seattle Slew and his Hall of Fame son, A.P. Indy. Hailing from this same sire line is Honor Marie, by Honor Code, a champion son of A.P. Indy. Thus “Slew” might have just two male-line descendants in Derby 150, but both Catching Freedom and Honor Marie are prime win candidates with serious closing kicks.

Also noteworthy is the A.P. Indy factor on the maternal half of Derby 150 pedigrees. Fierceness is out of a mare by 2011 Derby competitor Stay Thirsty, a son of champion Bernardini and grandson of A.P. Indy. Just a Touch is out of the Grade 3-winning Tapit mare Touching Beauty.

Sierra Leone and Japanese star Forever Young are closely related on their mother’s side. Sierra Leone is out of Grade 1 winner Heavenly Love, by the A.P. Indy stallion Malibu Moon. Heavenly Love is a half-sister to Forever Young’s mother, Grade 2 vixen Forever Darling, who is by another A.P. Indy son, Congrats.

Sunday Silence's line flourishes in Japan

Forever Young and his compatriot, T O Password, descend from the stellar sire line of 1989 Kentucky Derby and Preakness legend Sunday Silence. They trace to different sons of the Hall of Famer and breed-shaping sire.

Forever Young is a grandson of all-time great Deep Impact, via his son Real Steel, while T O Password is a grandson of Gold Allure, via his son Copano Rickey.

Epic Ride tries to emulate his upset-minded ancestors

Sunday Silence is by Halo, a son of Hail to Reason. Derby contender Epic Ride descends from another Hail to Reason stallion, Roberto. Hero of the 1972 Epsom Derby (G1), Roberto handed the great Brigadier Gerard his only loss in the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup (now the Juddmonte International) (G1).

Roberto’s male-line heir Blame channeled that energy to hold off Hall of Famer Zenyatta in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs, spoiling her perfect record in her career finale. Epic Ride’s mother is by three-time Eclipse Award champion Gio Ponti, who was runner-up to Zenyatta in the 2009 Classic over the old synthetic surface at Santa Anita.

Smart Strike on top and bottom; Colonel John's daughters

Another potent classic influence on both sides of the pedigree is the Mr. Prospector stallion Smart Strike, who’s appeared in both Derby-winning male lines and as the sire of Derby-producing broodmares. Sire of Curlin and grandsire of the aforementioned Good Magic, Smart Strike is also the maternal grandfather of Resilience and Honor Marie.

Not as frequently found, however, is Colonel John, but the 2008 Derby combatant factors as the maternal grandfather of both Society Man and Mystik Dan. As a son of Hall of Famer Tiznow, Colonel John represents the sire line of the legendary Man o’ War that’s hanging by a thread.

Additional Northern Dancer branches represented

In contrast, the prolific sire line of 1964 Derby and Preakness champion Northern Dancer has conquered the world. His grandson Storm Cat plays a significant role here through his aforementioned descendants Into Mischief and Justify. But other Northern Dancer branches also have chances in the Derby field.

Stronghold, by Hall of Famer Ghostzapper, belongs to the line carved out by Deputy Minister. Ghostzapper hasn’t sired a U.S. classic winner, but his daughter, Stage Magic, did produce Justify.

Catalytic, by Catalina Cruiser, traces back to the Northern Dancer stallion Dixieland Band. Like Stronghold, Catalytic has Distorted Humor on his mom’s side. Catalytic is out of the Distorted Humor mare One Show Only, from the family of 2010 Derby star Super Saver. Stronghold’s mother, Grade 2 heroine Spectator, was by Distorted Humor’s son Jimmy Creed.

Endlessly is by Oscar Performance, from the line of supersire Sadler’s Wells. Although turf-oriented in Europe, this Northern Dancer branch can be more versatile in North America, with El Prado siring Medaglia d’Oro as well as turf stars like Kitten’s Joy and Oscar Performance.

Northern Dancer edges 'Mr. P' as most prolific sire line in Derby 150

With Stronghold, Catalytic, Endlessly, Resilience, Domestic Product, Mystik Dan, Just Steel, and Just a Touch all counting Northern Dancer as a tail-male ancestor, eight Derby entrants hail from his clan.

Mr. Prospector’s sire line has six in the main body of the field – Sierra Leone, Fierceness, Track Phantom, Dornoch, Society Man, and West Saratoga – plus Mugatu, who needs someone to scratch for him to get a spot in the starting gate.

Oaks/Derby double possibilities

Interestingly, the Storm Cat-line sires are the only ones going for Oaks/Derby doubles.

Justify’s champion daughter Just F Y I will take on Practical Joke’s Ways and Means and Into Mischief’s fillies Leslie’s Rose and Into Champagne in the Kentucky Oaks on Friday. Leslie’s Rose is a “cousin” of Derby hopeful Grand Mo the First, both out of daughters of the mare Wildwood Flower.

Secretariat still exerts a long-term influence

Lurking much deeper in the recesses of nearly all the Derby contenders’ pedigrees is Secretariat. Although his male line has faded into obscurity, the 1973 Triple Crown record-setter has transmitted his legacy through his daughters – chief among them Terlingua (Storm Cat’s mother), Weekend Surprise (mother of A.P. Indy and Summer Squall), Secrettame (Gone West’s mother), and Sister Dot (Dehere’s mother).

Thus everyone with those important sires in his bloodlines can claim Secretariat as an ancestor – 20 of the 22 original Derby entrants. The exceptions are T O Password and Endlessly.

Some have Secretariat in their ancestry more than once, or even several times, if you go back far enough. But of those with a double-dose of Secretariat in nearer view, Honor Marie and Forever Young can boast of having him twice within their five-generation pedigree.

Honor Marie gets both crosses from sire Honor Code, who is inbred to Secretariat. Forever Young receives one cross apiece from sire Real Steel, whose maternal grandfather is Storm Cat, and mother Forever Darling, via her paternal grandfather A.P. Indy.