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Kentucky Derby Pedigree Corner: Max Player, Enforceable, Major Fed, And Mr. Big News

Each day of Kentucky Derby week, we'll take a look at the pedigrees of some Derby contenders and how those pedigrees might factor into their ability to succeed at 1 1/4 miles.

Max Player
Honor Code x Fools In Love, by Not For Love
Honor Code has strong credentials around two turns, winning the 1 1/8-mile Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at age two, then earning champion older male honors at age four with a campaign including a score in the G1 Whitney Stakes, also at 1 1/2 miles. Honor Code's championship season also included wins at 1 mile in the G1 Metropolitan Handicap and G1 Gulfstream Park Handicap. He is a son of A.P. Indy, who is one of the modern breed's bedrocks for distance runners.

Honor Code's runners post an average winning distance of 7.29 furlongs, which is a strong number for a sire with his first crop of 3-year-olds. He'll have two colts pointing toward this year's Kentucky Derby, with Honor A. P. having won the G1 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles and Max Player winning the G3 Withers Stakes at the same distance. Max Player is also placed at the Derby distance, having run third in the G1 Travers Stakes in August.

Fools in Love was a stakes-level horse on the East Coast for most of her racing career, but her lone win in stakes competition came in the 7 furlong Orleans Stakes at Delta Downs. A versatile runner, Fools in Love won at distances ranging from 5 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles.

Her resume continued to be strong when she transitioned from the racetrack to the foaling barn, consistently producing black type runners. She is the dam of the Scat Daddy colt Seahenge, a British Group 2 winner at 7 furlongs who now stands at stud in France and Argentina.

Other runners of note out of Fools in Love include Urban Bourbon, a City Zip gelding who is Grade 3-placed at 7 1/2 furlongs over the turf and was a multiple winner at 1 1/16 miles on the same surface. Frank's Folly, by Mineshaft, is stakes-placed and a multiple winner at 1 1/16 miles, while the Exchange Rate gelding Exchequer was a multi-surface claiming winner beyond a mile.

Enforceable
Tapit x Justwhistledixie, by Dixie Union
Tapit won the G3 Laurel Futurity as a juvenile going 1 1/16 miles, then came back at three to take the G1 Wood Memorial Stakes at 1 1/8 miles before running in the 2004 Kentucky Derby.

After he retired to stud, Tapit ascended to become perennial leader on the North American sire lists, both in on-track earnings and auction returns. He has sired three Belmont Stakes winners – Tonalist, Creator, and Tapwrit – while classic-placed Frosted became a prominent figure in the handicap division. His average progeny winning distance of 7.65 furlongs is among the leaders for this year's class of Derby sires.

Justwhistledixie has been a versatile star, both on the racetrack and in her broodmare career. She won the G2 Bonnie Miss Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on the main track at Gulfstream Park, preceded by a one-mile score in the G2 Davona Dale Stakes at the same track. She was also a non-graded stakes winner at 6 and 7 furlongs.

Enforceable would be Justwhistledixie's second Derby starter, following in the footsteps of his full-brother Mohaymen. After bringing $2.2 million as a yearling, Mohaymen won his first five starts: a 6 furlong maiden special weight at Belmont Park; the G2 Nashua Stakes (one mile); the G2 Remsen Stakes (1 1/8 miles); the G2 Holy Bull Stakes (1 1/16 miles); and the G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes (1 1/16 miles). He went on to finish fourth in the Kentucky Derby, and now stands at Shadwell Farm in Kentucky.

The Tapit/Justwhistledixie cross has also produced Kingly, who won the G3 La Jolla Handicap over 1 1/16 miles on the turf, and the non-graded California Derby at the same distance over the synthetic Tapeta Footings surface of Golden Gate Fields.

However, the biggest winner to date out of Justwhistledixie is New Year's Day, a son of Street Cry who took the 2013 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles and went on to sire champion 3-year-old Maximum Security.

Major Fed
Ghostzapper x Bobby's Babe, by Smart Strike
Ghostzapper was a force of nature on the racetrack, earning a diverse catalog of wins at the highest level, from the G1 Vosburgh Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs to the 1 1/4-mile Breeders' Cup Classic. Between those two extremes, he won at 1 1/16 miles in the G1 Woodward Stakes and G3 Philip H. Iselin Breeders' Cup Handicap, at 1 mile in the Metropolitan Handicap, and at 7 furlongs in the G2 Tom Fool Handicap.

He's proven able to get high-caliber runners at either the sprint or route distance at stud, with his two-turn stars including Shaman Ghost, who is a Grade 1 winner at 1 1/4 miles, and Moreno, who won the G1 Whitney Handicap at 1 1/8 miles and ran second in the G1 Travers Stakes at the classic distance. On the shorter side of the equation, he has sired champion female sprinter Judy the Beauty; Paulassilverlining, who was a finalist in the same category. Guarana, a finalist for champion 3-year-old filly last year, is a Grade 1 winner at both 1 1/8 miles and 7 furlongs, with another one in between at a mile.

Ghostzapper's Kentucky Derby runners include Stately Victor, who won the G1 Blue Grass Stakes at 1 1/8 miles before running eighth in the 2010 Derby; and McCraken, who also ran eighth in 2017 and was a three-time graded stakes winner at 1 1/16 miles.

Bobby's Babe broke her maiden on debut at age three, going 6 furlongs over the Polytrack at Turfway Park. She never won again in her 11 career starts, but she finished second by a nose in a one-mile turf race at Kentucky Downs.

She has four earners of six figures under her produce record, led by May Lily, a turf sprint specialist by Broken Vow who won the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Sprint Stakes at 5 ½ furlongs. Zapperini, a full-brother to Major Fed, took it in the opposite direction, finishing second in last year's G3 John B. Connally Turf Cup Stakes going 1 1/2 miles. Clairenation, by Bernstein, went on a four-race winning streak of turf sprints between five and 5 1/2 furlongs.

Mr. Big News
Giant's Causeway x Unappeased, by Galileo
Giant's Causeway was one of the greatest runners of his generation on a global scale, earning Europe's Horse of the Year honors in 2000.

He was a Group 1 turf winner at distances ranging from 7 furlongs to 1 1/4 miles, racking up victories in the French G1 Prix de la Salamandre at seven panels, the English G1 St. James's Palace Stakes and Sussex Stakes at 1 mile, and the G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes at 1 1/4 miles. Giant's Causeway stretched out even further to win the G1 Juddmonte International Stakes at 10 furlongs and 56 yards.

In his final start, Giant's Causeway showed elite class and distance ability on the dirt, finishing second by a neck to Tiznow in the 1 1/4-mile Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

Giant's Causeway was North America's leading sire in 2009, 2011, and 2012, with a broad cross-section of successful runners across distance, surface, and international borders. One of the few boxes left to check on his stallion resume is siring a U.S. classic winner, but he's gotten classic winners elsewhere with Footstepsinthesand in the English 2,000 Guineas, Shamardal in the French 2,000 Guineas, and Mike Fox Canada's Queen's Plate.

Giant's Causeway has sent eight runners to post in the Kentucky Derby, with his best finish being a fifth by Creative Cause in 2012. Other Giant's Causeway runners to start in the Derby include Destin (6th, 2016); Brody's Cause (7th, 2016); Carpe Diem (10th, 2015); Santiva (6th, 2011); Hold Me Back (12th, 2009); Cowboy Cal (9th, 2008); and Noble Causeway (14th, 2005).

Unappeased, by another all-world sire in Galileo, went winless in six career starts Japan. Her best performance was a runner-up effort going about 7 furlongs over a sloppy main track.

The mare comes from a strong extended family that includes Canadian Horse of the Year Glorious Song, U.S. champion juvenile Devil's Bag, and top global runner Sligo Bay.

Unappeased is the dam of two other runners including Lalibela, a full-sister to Mr. Big News who won on debut in a Gulfstream Park maiden special weight, going a mile and an eighth on the turf. Untouch, by Speightstown, raced just once, finishing out of the money in a Belmont Park maiden special weight at 1 1/16 miles on the grass.

The post Kentucky Derby Pedigree Corner: Max Player, Enforceable, Major Fed, And Mr. Big News appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Kentucky Derby Pedigree Corner: Tiz the Law, Authentic, Honor A. P., And Ny Traffic

Each day of Kentucky Derby week, we'll take a look at the pedigrees of the Kentucky Derby contenders and how those pedigrees might factor into their ability to succeed at a mile and a quarter.

Tiz the Law
Constitution x Tizfiz, by Tiznow
Tiz the Law is the easiest horse in the field to gauge at the classic distance, given his dominating 5 ½-length romp at a mile and a quarter in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes. Looking at his pedigree though, there are several factors proving he wasn't outrunning his bloodlines.

The colt is from the first crop of fast-rising sire Constitution, who won the G1 Florida Derby and Donn Handicap, both at a mile and an eighth. Constitution is a son of Tapit, who is one of North America's most proven sire of two-turn runners, including three Belmont Stakes winners.

The average distance of a race won by a Constitution runner (Average Winning Distance) is 6.92 furlongs, which is the bottom half among the sires of the Derby field, though Tiz the Law's previous Grade 1 triumph at a mile and a quarter dispels any concerns with this individual.

Beyond Tiz the Law, Constitution's best runners have tended to be milers, with Laura's Light taking the G2 San Clemente Stakes and Independence Hall taking the Jerome Stakes at the distance. However, Laura's Light also took the G3 Honeymoon Stakes at a 1 1/8 miles and Gouverneur Morris finished second in the G1 Arkansas Derby, both at 1 1/8 miles. Tiz the Law is Constitution's first graded stakes winner beyond a mile and an eighth, though that's not a major concern, given the early stage of the sire's career.

Tiz the Law is out of the Tiznow mare Tizfiz, who won the G2 San Gorgorino Handicap over the turf at 1 1/8 miles. The turf specialist also won non-graded stakes at distances between a 1 mile and 1 1/8 miles

Tizfiz is also the dam of Awestruck, a multiple stakes-placed daughter of Tapit who won from six furlongs to a mile on the dirt. She earned stakes-placings going as far as a 1 1/16 miles. Tizn'tshebeautiful, by Uncle Mo, was a maiden winner going 1 mile and 70 yards at Finger Lakes.

Authentic
Into Mischief x Flawless, by Mr. Greeley

Into Mischief was North America's leading general sire by earnings in 2019, and has established himself as one of the continent's top commercial sires.

He remains a force in 2020 with a slate of runners that includes multiple Grade 1 winner Gamine, who has won at the highest level at seven furlongs and a mile. He is also the sire of two-time Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Goldencents, as well as Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Covfeve, who was named last year's champion female sprinter and champion 3-year-old filly. The stallion's average progeny winning distance is 6.75 furlongs, which is near the bottom of this year's class of Derby sires.

Into Mischief's most notable Derby starter to date is Audible, who finished third in the 2018 renewal, coming in off a victory in the G1 Florida Derby at 1 1/8 miles.

On his own accord, Into Mischief won the G1 CashCall Futurity going a mile and a sixteenth over a synthetic track. Never worse than second in six career starts, Into Mischief also won the listed Damascus Stakes at 7 furlongs over an all-weather surface.

Flawless, a daughter of Mr. Greeley, won on debut at 7 furlongs over the main track at Belmont Park, then finished second finished second at the same track going a mile to finish her racing career.

Authentic is by far the most successful runner out of Flawless, with the next closest by earnings being Expectations, a Speightstown gelding who won claiming races from seven furlongs to a mile. Gitgo, by Bodemeister, was a maiden claiming winner at 5 ½ furlongs before being exported to Panama, where he has complied a lifetime record of six wins from 44 starts.

Honor A. P.
Honor Code x Hollywood Story, by Wild Rush
Honor Code has strong credentials around two turns, winning the 1 1/8-mile G2 Remsen Stakes at age two, then earning champion older male honors at four with a campaign including a score in the G1 Whitney Stakes, also at 1 ½ miles. Honor Code's championship season also included wins at a mile in the G1 Metropolitan Handicap and G1 Gulfstream Park Handicap. He is a son of A.P. Indy, who is one of the modern breed's bedrocks for distance runners.

Hollywood Story ran in nothing but graded stakes races after her debut effort. She won the G1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes as a juvenile at 1 1/16 miles, and she took the G1 Vanity Invitational Handicap over 1 1/8 miles later in her career. Her other two graded wins came at 1 1/16 miles.

A veteran broodmare with five runners sporting six-figure earnings, Hollywood Story is also the dam of Horrayforhollywood, by Storm Cat, who was a winner and stakes-placed at a mile. Hollywood Star, a son of Malibu Moon, finished a narrow second in the G3 Iroquois Stakes over 1 1/16 miles, while his full-sister Miss Hollywood is a stakes winner at 7 furlongs.

Removing Tiz the Law's victory in the Travers from consideration, no other horse in this field is better-qualified to excel at the classic distance in terms of pedigree than Honor A. P., both by high-level output and two-turn performance.

Ny Traffic
Cross Traffic x Mamie Reilly, by Graeme Hall

Cross Traffic was proficient at a route distance, highlighted by a win in the G1 Whitney Invitational Handicap at 1 1/8 miles. He also finished second in the G1 Metropolitan Handicap and G3 Westchester Stakes, both at 1 mile.

He was the leading freshman sire of 2018, spearheaded by Eclipse Award winner Jaywalk, who took the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at 1 1/16 miles. His average progeny winning distance is 6.86 furlongs, putting him on the lower end of this year's Derby sires. However, Cross Traffic has been represented well at a mile and a quarter by Capocostello, who won Panama's G1 Clásico Año Nuevo at the distance.

Ny Traffic would be Cross Traffic's first Kentucky Derby starter.

Mamie Reilly raced twice, graduating on her second try in a 6 furlong maiden claiming race at Belmont Park. Ny Traffic is her first foal.

Ny Traffic's extended family is heavy on South American influence, led by third dam Quilma, who won the Chilean 1,000 Guineas before being imported to the U.S., where she became a Grade 2 winner.

The post Kentucky Derby Pedigree Corner: Tiz the Law, Authentic, Honor A. P., And Ny Traffic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘Clicking Off Those 12s’: Honor A.P. Works At Del Mar Under Mike Smith

C R K Stable's Honor A.P. worked five furlongs at 12:45 p.m. PT Saturday at Del Mar in 1:00.20 with the Kentucky Derby two weeks hence on his agenda.

He had rider Mike Smith up with trainer John Shirreffs looking on at the seaside track north of San Diego, Calif.

The handsome ridgling, a 3-year-old son of Honor Code and a grandson of A.P. Indy, rang up fractions of :12.00, :24.00 :36.20 and :47.60 en route to his final clocking. He also galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.20 and seven eighths in 1:25.40.

Del Mar clocker Toby Turrell, who timed the move, said afterwards: “That's why they call him 'Big Money Mike.' He was just clicking off those :12s in all the right spots.”

Smith and Shirreffs combined to pull off a 50-1 shocker in the 2005 Kentucky Derby with Giacomo. Honor A.P., who has won the Santa Anita Derby this year and most recently was second in Del Mar's Shared Belief Stakes, is expected to be one of the stronger betting choices for the September 5 Run for the Roses behind the likely overwhelming favorite Tiz the Law.

C R K Stable is the nom du course for Lee and Susan Searing of Clairemont, Calif., who have raced horses since 1966 but will be taking their first shot at the Kentucky Derby this year. They paid $850,000 for Honor A.P. at the Saratoga Select Yearling Sale in 2018 and he now has won $382,200 in purses.

The post ‘Clicking Off Those 12s’: Honor A.P. Works At Del Mar Under Mike Smith appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Travers Third Max Player Moved To Hall Of Famer Asmussen’s Barn

George Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds' Max Player, third in both the Travers and the Belmont Stakes, has been transferred to the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, according to the Daily Racing Form.

The 3-year-old son of Honor Code had been trained by Linda Rice, who saddled the colt to a record of two wins, a second, a two thirds from five starts for earnings of $373,500. Max Player won the G3 Withers Stakes to kick off his sophomore season, then finished third behind Tiz the Law in both the G1 Belmont and the G1 Travers to earn a total of 60 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Now, Max Player will be vanned from Rice's Belmont base to Asmussen's barn at Churchill Downs on Wednesday.

“I definitely wanted someone with experience and infrastructure at Churchill,” Hall told drf.com. “I wanted someone who could take the horse to Churchill right away and to spend some time with the horse prior to the race and give him his best shot at having a good race at that track.”