Tales from the Crib: Known Agenda

The son of Hall of Famer Curlin and Grade 1 queen Byrama took the run-around-mom play to a whole new level at his childhood home, Lane’s End Farm in the Bluegrass.

“He’d run around the mare a lot, running circles around her all day, for a really long time,” Lane’s End manager Todd Claunch recalled.

Now Known Agenda is running circles around the competition. By dominating the Florida Derby (G1), he’s in position to turn the Kentucky Derby (G1) double like Always Dreaming (2017), who was also trained by Todd Pletcher and co-owned by St. Elias. 

But as a late-developing Curlin colt who’s still on the upswing, Known Agenda reminds Pletcher of another St. Elias-affiliated runner – Vino Rosso. Also a chestnut like their sire, Vino Rosso broke through in the 2018 Wood Memorial (G2), and eventually went on to become champion older dirt male after taking the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). Hopes are that Known Agenda fares better in the Triple Crown than Vino Rosso, who was ninth in the Derby and fourth in the Belmont (G1) behind Justify.

The nom de course of Vincent Viola, the West Point grad-turned-billionaire owner of the NHL Florida Panthers, St. Elias Stable campaigned unbeaten Grade 1 hero Army Mule solo. Liam’s Map, the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) star, raced principally for Viola’s wife, Teresa. St. Elias has also been a co-owner of such major winners as Ring Weekend and Greenpointcrusader, as well as Known Agenda’s stablemate and Derby rival Dynamic One. 

Unlike Dynamic One and the past stable stars, Known Agenda was bred by St. Elias, as Viola branched out into acquiring mares. Among the first to join the band was Byrama, a British import who outperformed both her modest stature and her juvenile sales price.

Ironically, Byrama was herself the product of a fledgling breeding operation at Ermyn Lodge Stud in Epsom, near the iconic racecourse whose Derby (G1) has inspired imitations the world over. Her dam, the Darshaan mare Aymara, was purchased from the dispersal of the Duke of Devonshire. 

Sired by Byron, one of Godolphin’s lesser lights, Byrama was reportedly sold as a foal. Her first public auction appearance came as a two-year-old in training at the 2011 DBS (Doncaster Breeders’ Sales) Breeze-Up. Few were interested, though, as the top bid was a mere £8,000 (approximately $13,000) – not enough to meet her reserve price.

After going unsold, Byrama joined trainer Nigel Tinkler and soon proved to have more ability than met the eye. She almost pulled a 20-1 upset in her debut at Beverley, then romped as the 2-1 favorite at Carlisle.

That earned her a chance in America for new connections – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Southern California-based trainer Simon Callaghan. A rallying third in her U.S. debut in the Blue Norther at Santa Anita, Byrama placed in the 2012 Providencia (G3) and Senorita (G3). 

A cutback to six furlongs lifted her to a first stakes win in the Manhattan Beach at old Hollywood Park, where she prevailed by a neck from Lemon Hero – now the dam of Derby contender Sainthood. Byrama later edged Rock Your World’s dam, Charm the Maker, in the Unzip Me at about 6 1/2 furlongs over Santa Anita’s downhill course. 

Although continuing to compile graded stakes placings on turf, Byrama relished the opportunity to race on synthetic surfaces. She missed by a neck in the 2013 Madison (G1) on Keeneland’s former Polytrack, and that summer, she posted her biggest career win in the 2013 Vanity H. (G1) on Hollywood’s Cushion Track. Byrama handled 1 1/8 miles well to drive 3 1/2 lengths clear.

The all-important Grade 1 laurel made her a far more attractive commodity at her next sales experience, at Keeneland November. You can watch her promotional highlight reel:

Bidding reached $725,000, but she was still an RNA (“reserve not attained”). St. Elias was able to buy her privately. 

Transferred to Hall of Famer Bill Mott for 2014, Byrama did not win during her five-year-old campaign, but she came close in her Ten Palms reappearance at Gulfstream Park and in her career finale in the Athenia (G3) at Belmont Park. She bankrolled $659,068 from a record of 29-5-7-9, reflecting three stakes wins along with 14 stakes placings.

Byrama resides at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End. Home to equine royalty like Zenyatta, Lane’s End also hosted Queen Elizabeth II throughout her 1984 visit to the Bluegrass. 

Claunch, now the farm manager, praised Byrama’s character as key to her success on the racetrack.

“She’s not a big mare. She must have had plenty of heart to run the way she did.”

Known Agenda, her third foal, might have inherited that spirit too. He definitely has another of Byrama’s traits. 

“He was really inquisitive,” Claunch said. “The mare is kind of like that too. She really paid attention to what was going on around her.”

Her Curlin baby revealed that propensity from the beginning. When they were trying to take a video of him, the foal was so fascinated by the camera that he kept coming too close to investigate. 

“He was following the camera around the stall,” Claunch recalled, “and all you can see is his nose!”

As a yearling, the yet-unnamed colt was cataloged for Fasig-Tipton’s boutique Saratoga Sale. He was sent to the late Gerry Dilger’s Dromoland Farm to prepare. Dilger has been closely involved with two Derby winners of recent years, having bought and resold (“pinhooked”) Nyquist (2016) and co-bred Always Dreaming with partner Mike Ryan. 

Yet the rather particular buyers at Saratoga would not go past a bid of $135,000, below the reserve price. St. Elias accordingly kept the colt. 

Still slated for auction, Known Agenda went to school in Ocala with Eddie Woods, whose graduates include Kentucky Derby champions Big Brown (2008) and Authentic (2020). The Irish expat was set to offer the juvenile at Fasig-Tipton’s Gulfstream Sale – until COVID-19 struck. The sale was canceled amid the pandemic clampdown, much like what befell Derby rival Super Stock in Texas. 

So St. Elias never sold the colt after all. Named Known Agenda, he showed real promise when second in his sprint debut at Belmont – to Derby rival Highly Motivated. Known Agenda stretched out to 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct and outdueled Greatest Honour in a terrific battle that set them apart. After losing the plot a bit when third in the sloppy Remsen (G2) and a belated fifth in the Sam F. Davis (G3), Known Agenda woke up with the addition of blinkers at Gulfstream. 

Now whenever Known Agenda circles his rivals, it brings back visions of his favorite pastime as a foal.