Road to the Kentucky Derby – Alex’s Pedigree Tip or Skip
Alex Henry | February 15th 2025
Goal: Highlight one Kentucky Deby prep race contender with a well-suited pedigree for classic distances and one who may be better suited elsewhere.
Risen Star Stakes | Fairground Racecourse
Pedigree Tip:
Built (Apr 2022)
Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners| Breeder: Rob and Lawana Low (KY)
Trainer: Wayne Catalano
Hard Spun o/o Sea Garden by Curlin
Inbreeding: Northern Dancer 3×5, Mr. Prospector 4×5, Raise A Native 5×5
True Nicks: A+
Built enters the Risen Star Stakes off of a game second place finish in the 8.5F G3 Lecomte Stakes on January 18th in the slop to Disco Time. He passed front running Innovator in late stretch, briefly leading with 1/16 until the finish before being passed by Disco Time who was finishing best of all. Adding a half furlong (1/16 mile) today in the Risen Star, Built looks poised for a good effort in this third start post layoff and his breeding supports this distance stretch as well.
Hard Spun has proven to be a very successful dual surface sire, with G1 winners on both turf and dirt in both hemispheres. In the US, his most successful offspring have been 2014 G1 Wood Memorial winner and troubled Kentucky Derby 4th Wicked Strong, G1 Met Mile winner Silver State, and Jeff Ruby Steaks winner and 2023 Kentucky Derby 2nd place hero Two Phil’s. Clearly, most Hard Spuns can handle 10F even if their dams preferred going shorter, as showcased by Supreme (dam of Silver State) and Mia Torri (dam of Two Phil’s). Furthermore, Hard Spun can also lay claim to being a steeplechase sire, via his son Snap Decision who was voted our 2024 Eclipse Award champion steeplechase horse. Built’s TrueNicka rating is A+ (variant=4.66), and he is the best result of the Hard Sput/Curlin nick to date. However, similar crosses put him in the same family as G2 winner Big Invasion (Declaration of War/Curlin) and G3 Second of July (Jack Milton/Curlin).
Dam Sea Garden (Curling o/o Navy Gardens by Storm Cat) was unable to break her maiden and only has Built to speak for her broodmare career. Her dam Navy Gardens is a half sister to multiple dirt route graded stakes winner Indian Vale (9F G2 Fall City Hcp, 9F G3 Turnback the Alarm Hcp, 9F G2 Fluer de Lis Hcp, 9F G3 Next Move Hcp). Furthermore, Navy Gardens produced dual surface graded stakes winner Glenville Gardens. Primarily campaigned in Canada, Glenville Gardens finished first 15 times in 36 starts, including back to back wins in the 8F black type Labeeb stakes at Woodbine over the turf.
There seems to be plenty of stamina to spare in Built’s pedigree to set him up for success if he finds himself contending for the run for the roses this year. This evening, he’ll most likely be vying for a stalking spot near probable leader East Avenue. Since this is his third start in this form cycle, I expect there to be more in reserve late versus in January.
Pedigree Skip:
Giocoso (Feb 2022)
Owner: Rocker O Ranch LLC | Breeder: Breed First LLC (KY)
Trainer: Keith Desormeaux
Not This Time o/o Nutcracker Suite* IRE by Fastnet Rock* AUS
Inbreeding: Storm Cat 3×3, Northern Dancer 5x5x5, Damascus 5×5, Crimson Saint 5x5x5
True Nicks: A++
Giocoso has found the winner’s circle twice, both of which were earned on turf. I understand that his respectable 3rd in the G3 Iroquois last September behind two salty foes in Jonathan’s Way and Owen Almighty sparked hope that a dirt campaign may be in his wheelhouse as a 3 year old; however, his pedigree is so rich in turf influence and, given his aptitude to grass, I don’t love his chances in the G2 Risen Star this evening.
Sire Not This Time has fantastic statistics for both turf and dirt starters, getting winners at 19% for dirt routes and 16% turf routes. However, out of 7 G1 winners, 3 were turf specialists (Up to the Mark, Cogburn, and Sacred Wish) and 2 were dirt sprint specialists (Just One Time and Sibelius). Only Epicenter and Princess Noor (G1 win in the 2020 Del Mar Debutante) had major victories in dirt routes, winning the G1 Travers stakes and G2 Chandelier stakes, respectively. Not This Time’s best dirt offspring usually have been crossed with dams with some demonstrated affinity to dirt, with the exception notably being Epicenter. Epicenter’s dam Silent Candy was a stakes winner of turf but at least had her sire Candy Ride’s dual surface talent to pass down to her offspring. In terms of nicks, Giocoo is the only Not This Time/Fastnet Rock to race currently, however, family members related via grandsire Giant’s Causeway include turf runners G2 winner I Am Superman*Ire (Footstepsinthesand* Gb/Fastnet Rock* Aus) and G3 winner Swing Vote* Gb (Shamardal/Fastnet Rock* Aus).
Nutcracker Suite was a winner at 3 in Ireland on turf and Giocoso is her second winner in two foals to race; her other progeny Crackin Mischief (Into Mischief) is a 3-time winner in Argentina and USA on synthetic and dirt (5F). Her pedigree is rich with Irish, English, and Australian turf breeding. Sired by as two-time Australian champion sire Fastnet Rock and out of Dietrich, a Kentucky-bred Irish-campaigned turf G3 winner, expectations of turf ability were present from day one. 2nd dam Dietrichwas was a strong producer, foaling Beauty Bright* Ire G2 and G3 placed turf sprinting and turf G1 placed Aloft.
Giocoso could prove this analysis wrong with a strong performance tonight. However, I’ll gladly give him a much longer look if he makes his next start on turf instead.
