Pedigree fun facts: 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

Let’s dive into the pedigree fun facts for the Juvenile field.

Jack Christopher is by multiple Grade 2-winning sprinter Munnings, who was 10th in his Juvenile try at Santa Anita in 2008. Himself a son of 2004 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) champion Speightstown, Munnings has two other contenders on Saturday, Kimari in the Turf Sprint (G1) and Ginobili in the Dirt Mile (G1). Jack Christopher’s dam is by the speedy Half Ours, a son of 1995 Juvenile star Unbridled’s Song, and she’s a half-sister to multiple Grade 1-winning sprinter Street Boss. 

Speightstown also factors as the paternal grandsire of Juvenile rival Tough to Tame, by his young son Speightster. Like Jack Christopher, Tough to Tame is inbred to Storm Cat. 

Tough to Tame is out of a mare by Tiger Ridge, a Storm Cat half-brother to A.P. Indy. Tiger Ridge is therefore closely inbred to Secretariat. Since Speightstown likewise carries two crosses of Secretariat, Tough to Tame counts the 1973 Triple Crown record-setter four times in his extended pedigree. Tough to Tame traces to the family dubbed 23-b, sharing the same mid-19th century tap root mare as 1984 Juvenile champ Chief’s Crown. 

Oviatt Class is a grandson of two Hall of Famers who captured the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) – A.P. Indy (1992) and Tiznow (2000-01). Oviatt Class is by the A.P. Indy stallion Bernardini, the 2006 Preakness (G1) hero and runner-up in that fall’s Classic. 

Oviatt Class’s dam is a full sister to Grade 2 vixen Tizahit (who produced Grade 1-winning sprinter Come Dancing), but from the family of last year’s Juvenile champ Essential Quality, a leading contender to add Saturday’s Classic. Another close maternal relative, Folklore, won the 2005 Juvenile Fillies (G1). This family founded by blue hen *La Troienne, labeled 1-x, is also responsible for Juvenile scorers Rhythm (1989) and Game Winner (2018).

Corniche, by successful sire Quality Road, hails from the 1-x tribe as well but from a different subset. While Oviatt Class and Essential Quality descend from Bases Full, Corniche goes back to her half-sister So Chic. Their common ancestress is the dam of Bases Full and So Chic, Striking, a daughter of 1937 Triple Crown legend War Admiral. Corniche’s dam, multiple Grade 2 turfiste Wasted Tears, comes from an offshoot of the branch that includes Horse of the Year Mineshaft. 

Two Breeders’ Cup Classic winners have first-crop juveniles in the line-up – Arrogate (2016) and Gun Runner, who dethroned Arrogate in the 2017 Classic at Del Mar.

The late Arrogate, himself a son of Unbridled’s Song and grandson of 1990 Kentucky Derby and Classic victor Unbridled, is represented by Jasper Great. Kentucky-bred but based in Japan, Jasper Great is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Power Broker, fifth in the 2012 Juvenile. They are out of stakes scorer Shop Again, a daughter of Wild Again who landed the inaugural Classic (1984) in a three-way thriller. Jasper Great descends from the maternal family labeled 8-h, ultimately the same line as 2012 Juvenile victor Shanghai Bobby.

Gun Runner’s hope, Pappacap, is out of a mare by Scat Daddy who was fourth in the 2006 Juvenile. Scat Daddy’s sire, transatlantic champion Johannesburg, invaded from Ireland to plunder the 2001 Juvenile. Johannesburg was ending two generations of frustration in this race, as his sire, Hennessy, was just edged by Unbridled’s Song, 10 years after his own sire, Storm Cat, was nailed on the wire in the 1985 Juvenile at Aqueduct. 

Pinehurst is bred along lines similar to Gun Runner. While Gun Runner is by Candy Ride, Pinehurst is by Candy Ride’s son Twirling Candy. Both Pinehurst and Gun Runner are out of mares by the “Iron Horse” Giant’s Causeway. Denied by Tiznow in an epic 2001 Classic, Giant’s Causeway has one from his final crop in the Juvenile, Giant Game. The colt is a half-brother to Grade 2 scorer Isotherm, who was unplaced in his Breeders’ Cup attempts in the Juvenile (2015) and Dirt Mile (2018).

Leading sire Into Mischief, currently tied with the late Galileo as the sire of five Breeders’ Cup winners, will get a chance for number six with Barossa. Out of Grade 3 queen Bouquet Booth, the fifth-placer in the 2011 Kentucky Oaks (G1), Barossa comes from the family of multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Riskaverse, who was unplaced in four straight runnings of the Filly & Mare Turf (G1) (2002-05); Tonalist, the 2014 Belmont star and fifth in two editions of the Classic; and Horse of the Year Havre de Grace, third in the 2010 Ladies’ Classic (G1) and fourth versus males in the following season’s Classic. 

Double Thunder, a son of 2010 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Super Saver, is out of a mare by Tapit. Thus he’s inbred to A.P. Indy, and his dam is herself inbred to Unbridled. Tracing the female line much further back, this is the 16-g family that produced 2008 Juvenile champ Midshipman. Rival Pinehurst comes from the same tribe; he and Double Thunder share a common ancestress from about 100 years ago, Ancient Queen (foaled in 1924). 

Tapit is also the broodmare sire of Commandperformance, who is by Union Rags. The near-misser as the 2011 Juvenile favorite with a wide trip, Union Rags later crowned his career in the 2012 Belmont S. (G1). 

American Sanctuary is from the first crop of the Pulpit stallion American Freedom, a distant second in Arrogate’s record-setting Travers (G1). The two-year-old descends from the same female line as Jackie’s Warrior, fourth as the favorite in last year’s Juvenile but stellar going shorter, and favored again in Saturday’s Sprint.