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Kentucky Derby Pedigree Corner: King Guillermo, Thousand Words, And South Bend

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.

King Guillermo
Uncle Mo x Slow Sand, by Dixieland Band
Uncle Mo is one of two members in this year's class of Kentucky Derby sires to have already sired a Derby winner, with champion Nyquist taking the prize in 2016. Nyquist also reeled off wins in the G1 Florida Derby (1 1/8 miles) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (1 1/16 miles) as the flagbearer of Uncle Mo's record-setting first crop.

That group also included Outwork, who won the G1 Wood Memorial Stakes at 1 1/8 miles en route to a Derby start. Mo Tom also ran in that year's Derby with a win in the G3 LeComte Stakes at 1 mile 70 yards under his belt. Uncle Mo's runners post an average winning distance of 7.41 furlongs, which is in the upper half of this year's Derby sires.

Uncle Mo was named champion 2-year-old male of 2010 with Grade 1 wins in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (1 1/16 miles) and Champagne Stakes (1 mile). He came back at three to win the G2 Kelso Handicap at 1 mile.

Slow Sand, a product of the globally-known Wertheimer and Frere breeding program, went unplaced in two career starts, one coming at 7 furlongs on the dirt and the other at 1 mile on the turf.

As a broodmare, Slow Sand has visited a global variety of stallions, with the most successful outcome besides King Guillermo being Dorothy B, a Fastnet Rock filly who is stakes-placed in England over 6 furlongs. Northern Star, by Montjeu, was also a winner in England at 1 1/8 miles. Slow Sand's biggest distance standout is Snan, a son of High Chaparral who was a two-time English winner at 1 3/4 miles.

Thousand Words
Pioneerof the Nile x Pomeroy's Pistol, by Pomeroy
Pioneerof the Nile is the sire of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, more than proving his ability to sire a horse capable of winning a classic.

The sire nearly gained another classic winner in 2017 when Classic Empire finished a narrow second in the Preakness Stakes. Prior to that race, Classic Empire took home champion 2-year-old male honors with Grade 1 two-turn wins in the Breeders' Futurity and Breeders' Cup Juvenile, then he came back at three to win the G1 Arkansas Derby at 1 1/8 miles. Pioneerof the Nile had another classic-placed runner in Social Inclusion, who finished third in the 2014 Preakness Stakes and was an allowance winner at 1 1/16 miles.

Pioneerof the Nile narrowly missed Kentucky Derby glory on his own right, having finished second to Mine That Bird in the 2009 edition. He entered the race on a four-race winning streak capped off by the G1 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles. He also tallied wins at 1 1/16 miles in the G1 CashCall Futurity, and the G2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes and San Felipe Stakes.

Pomeroy's Pistol was a star sprinter, with three graded stakes wins between 6 and 7 furlongs. She stretched out to 1 mile to finish third in the G2 Davona Dale Stakes.

Thousand Words is by far the most successful of the two winners from three runners out of Pomeroys Pistol. The other winner is Moon Pistol, a Malibu Moon gelding who graduated in a Gulfstream Park West maiden claimer going 6 furlongs on the main track. Sweet Pistol, by Smart Strike, went unplaced in two career starts, one each on dirt and turf, both at 1 1/16 miles.

South Bend
Algorithms x Sandra's Rose, by Old Trieste
Algorithms went a perfect three-for-three in a racing career cut short by injury. He won on debut in a Belmont Park maiden special weight at 5 furlongs, then finished his juvenile season in the Gulfstream Park winner's circle, following a 6 1/2-furlong allowance optional claiming race. At three, he won the G3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream, going 1 mile.

His best runners at stud have typically been sprinters, as evidenced by his average progeny winning distance of 6.73 furlongs. However, his best runner to date, Math Wizard, took the G1 Pennsylvania Derby at 1 1/8 miles. As for his other graded stakes winners, Recruiting Ready took the G3 Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes at 6 furlongs, while Rich Mommy won the G3 Sugar Swirl Stakes at the same distance.

Sandra's Rose was an imposing turf sprinter on the West Coast, notching a win in the 5 1/2-furlong Tulza Stakes, and hitting the board in the G3 Senator Ken Maddy Handicap and Las Cinegas Handicap, both at 6 ½ furlongs. Though her most notable efforts came around one turn, she also nosed out a maiden special weight victory at 1 1/8 miles over the Santa Anita turf.

A veteran broodmare, Sandra's Rose has produced one other six-figure earner in North America: He's the Reason, by The Factor. The gelding is a multiple stakes winner in British Columbia, going as far as 1 1/8 miles.

Rose Essence, by Speightstown, earned her lone victory in her 15th career start when she won a 6 1/2-furlong Charles Town maiden special weight. Baroness Rose, by Curlin, won twice on the turf, once at 1 mile and another at 7 1/2 furlongs. The Dixie Union gelding Rose Junction won on debut as a juvenile, taking a 5 furlong Belmont Park maiden special weight, while the Eskendereya filly Eskenforandreya earned her lone career victory over 1 mile on the all-weather Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields.

Though she'll have a Derby starter, the most successful runner to date out of Sandra's Rose might be Anichkov Most, a son of Awesome Again who became a top runner in Russia. His exploits include back-to-back wins in the G1 N.N. Nashibov Cup at the classic 1 1/4-mile distance, along with victories in the G3 Season Opening Stakes and Season Closing Stakes, both at 9 furlongs.

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Tiz The Law Draws 17; Top Three Choices To Break From Outside Posts In Rescheduled Kentucky Derby

Belmont Stakes and Travers winner Tiz the Law will seek Kentucky Derby glory from post 17 of 18 in Saturday's rescheduled Run for the Roses. Trainer Barclay Tagg and owner Sackatoga Stable will be trying for their second win in the Run for the Roses; they first captured the race with New York-bred Funny Cide in 2003.

Veteran oddsmaker Mike Battaglia gave Tiz the Law morning line odds of 3-5, the lowest since 1989. The race's top three choices will all be on the far outside in the new 20-stall starting gate: Honor A. P. in post 16, Tiz the Law in post 17, and Authentic in post 18.

Horses will be entered in the new 20-stall starting gate away from the rail, so the third slot will become post position one.

The full field is as follows:

Finnick the Fierce – Rey Hernandez – Martin Garcia (50-1)
Max Player – Steve Asmussen – Ricardo Santana, Jr. (30-1)
Enforceable – Mark Casse – Adam Beschizza (30-1)
Storm the Court – Peter Eurton – Julien Leparoux (50-1)
Major Fed – Greg Foley – James Graham (50-1)
King Guillermo – Juan Carlos Avila – Samy Camacho (20-1)
Money Moves – Todd Pletcher – Javier Castellano (30-1)
South Bend – Bill Mott – Tyler Gaffalione (50-1)
Mr. Big News – Bret Calhoun – Gabriel Saez (50-1)
Thousand Words – Bob Baffert – Florent Geroux (15-1)
Necker Island – Chris Hartman – Miguel Mena (50-1) *blinkers off
Sole Volante – Patrick Biancone – Luca Panici (30-1)
Attachment Rate – Dale Romans – Joe Talamo (50-1)
Winning Impression – Dallas Stewart – Joe Rocco, Jr. (50-1)
Ny Traffic – Saffie Joseph, Jr. – Paco Lopez (20-1)
Honor A. P. – John Shirreffs – Mike Smith (5-1)
Tiz the Law – Barclay Tagg – Manny Franco (3-5)
Authentic – Bob Baffert – John Velazquez (8-1)

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South Bend Joins Derby Cast Just Before Post Position Draw

Trainer Bill Mott will have a chance to win back-to-back Kentucky Derbies after all. Shortly before Tuesday's post position draw at Churchill Downs, the Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee announced on Twitter that South Bend would be the 18th horse in the starting gate this Saturday, Sept. 5. Tyler Gaffalione will have the mount.

The 3-year-old son of Algorithms won the listed Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs last fall when campaigned by Sagamore Farm and Stanley Hough, and earned several stakes placings on the turf before returning to the main track for the June 27 Ohio Derby (G3), in which South Bend finished second.

After that start, the colt was purchased privately by Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Peter Deutsch and Pantofel Stable, and transferred to Mott's barn to be prepared for the Grade 1 Travers.

Mott saddled South Bend to a fourth-place finish in the Travers, improving his record to 3-2-2 for earnings of $390,114.

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Art Collector Out Of Derby Consideration After Minor Foot Injury

Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector, winner of Keeneland's Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes and the $200,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Derby in his last two starts, is out of Saturday's $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) with a minor foot issue, trainer Tommy Drury said.

Drury told Jennie Rees of the Kentucky HBPA that Art Collector would not be entered when the field is set Tuesday morning. He said the colt nicked the bulb of his left front heel with a hind hoof while galloping Monday at Churchill Downs. Because of horse racing strict medication rules, the horse could not be treated with an anti-inflammatory this close to the race.

Drury said that Art Collector now will point for the Oct. 3 Preakness Stakes in Baltimore.

Art Collector returned to Drury's Skylight training base in Oldham County yesterday morning, arriving about 8:20.

“He grabbed himself yesterday morning training,” Drury told Rees. “It was still very sensitive this morning. When I took my thumbs to palpate the bulbs of his heels, you could still tell it was pinching him. I had to make a choice. Your horse has to always come first. To run in a race of this caliber and trying to compete against the best 3-year-olds in this country, you've got to be 110 percent. To me, it wouldn't have been fair to Art Collector, even though it's slight, knowing that there's an issue of any kind. I had a meeting yesterday afternoon with my veterinarians, Foster Northrup, Rick Costelle, had my blacksmith there. We discussed some different scenarios. We maybe could have put a bar shoe on it and stabilized it and he would have been fine. But you're going to the Kentucky Derby. First and foremost, as the trainer, it's my responsibility to be the voice for the horse. That's just not fair to him (to run). He's been too good to us, and we're going to make sure he's taken care of first.”

Art Collector came off the van and grazed briefly with Drury on the shank. “I knew after we gave him a little anti-inflammatory this morning that he'd be perfectly sound,” he said. “That's not surprising at all. And that's what we wanted to see. We wanted to see him respond well to it, and it looks like that's what happened. On to Baltimore.”

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