Pedigree fun facts: 2022 Breeders’ Futurity

Lost Ark will try to emulate Nest’s prowess at this track. His half-sister romped in the Apr. 8 Ashland (G1) over the same 1 1/16-mile trip, before going on to take command of the three-year-old fillies’ division at Saratoga. Another half-sibling, Idol, scored his signature win in the 2021 Santa Anita H. (G1). Nest, Idol, and Lost Ark are all out of stakes winner Marion Ravenwood, a daughter of Hall of Famer A.P. Indy and Grade 2 heroine Andujar, descended from the same female line as Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1) stars Majestic Prince (1969) and Real Quiet (1998).

Lost Ark’s sire, Violence, was on the Derby trail before his career was cut short by injury. Himself a son of 2002 Triple Crown veteran Medaglia d’Oro, Violence captured the Nashua (G2) and CashCall Futurity (G1) (now the Los Alamitos Futurity to reflect its change of venue). 

Thus Lost Ark is bred on the cross of Medaglia d’Oro over an A.P. Indy mare, the pedigree pattern responsible for a multiple Grade 1-winning juvenile of 2017, Bolt d’Oro. Now a freshman sire, Bolt d’Oro has a Breeders’ Futurity hopeful in Instant Coffee, whose dam is a stakes-placed daughter of champion Uncle Mo.

Aside from Lost Ark, Violence is also the sire of morning-line favorite Forte, his stablemate from the Todd Pletcher barn. Forte’s dam, multiple stakes victress Queen Caroline, is a Blame mare from the extended family of champion Essential Quality. A two-time Eclipse Award winner, Essential Quality garnered the Breeders’ Futurity en route to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) glory at Keeneland in 2020.

Blame likewise factors as the broodmare sire of another well-fancied runner, Loggins. By Hall of Famer Ghostzapper, Loggins was produced by Beyond Blame, a Grade 3 winner on turf for Brad Cox, who now conditions her promising colt.

Champion Blame famously denied the formerly-unbeaten Zenyatta a storybook ending in her Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) title defense in 2010. His descendants are taking on a nephew of the Hall of Fame racemare on Saturday, in Confidence Game. 

Confidence Game’s dam, Eblouissante, is a half-sister to Zenyatta. Eblouissante is by champion Bernardini, who’s also the damsire of 2019 Breeders’ Futurity star Maxfield.

Confidence Game is a son of Argentine champion Candy Ride, who remained perfect through a stateside campaign culminating in the 2003 Pacific Classic (G1). Candy Ride set a Del Mar track record that day, defeating Medaglia d’Oro. 

Red Route One is by Candy Ride’s best son, Gun Runner, the 2017 Horse of the Year and now a young sire sensation. Red Route Run’s dam, by the patriarch Tapit, is a full sister to champion Untapable, who turned the Kentucky Oaks (G1)/Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) double in 2014. Red Route One is himself a full brother to Red Run, winner of the Texas Turf Mile earlier this season.

Funtastic Again is from the first crop of Funtastic, a close relative of Gun Runner. By renowned international sire More Than Ready, Funtastic is a half-brother to 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam and to Quiet Giant, the dam of Gun Runner, who likewise won the Breeders’ Cup Classic to clinch his championship.  

More Than Ready has another grandson in the field, Frosted Departure. Out of a More Than Ready mare, Frosted Departure is by Tapit’s son Frosted.

Powerful is by champion Nyquist, just the second horse ever to win both the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (2015) and the Kentucky Derby (2016). Powerful’s dam is by Pulpit, the son of A.P. Indy and himself the sire of Tapit. In the direct female line, Powerful traces to Family Style, the champion two-year-old filly of 1985.

Carmel Road’s sire, $2.2 million-earner Quality Road, was the early favorite for the 2014 Derby until he was sidelined by injury. Carmel Road is out of a mare by 1995 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile hero Unbridled’s Song, who is the broodmare sire of Breeders’ Futurity-winning half-brothers J. B.’s Thunder (2010) and Carpe Diem (2014). 

Bourbon Bash is from the first crop of the highly-regarded Quality Road stallion City of Light, a $5.6 million-earner with big wins in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and 2019 Pegasus World Cup (G1). Bourbon Bash’s dam, Buy Sell Hold, beat the boys in the 2017 Kentucky Juvenile. Buy Sell Hold, yet another by the aforementioned Violence, is a full sister to Grade 1-winning sprinter Volatile. They descend from multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Lady Tak.

Honed is from the first crop of Grade 1-winning miler Sharp Azteca, who is a son of Freud (a full brother to “Iron Horse” Giant’s Causeway) and out of a Saint Liam mare. Sharp Azteca comes from the immediate family of Firing Line, runner-up to American Pharoah in the 2015 Kentucky Derby.

The other three from the Storm Cat sire line hail from the branch of Harlan’s Holiday, the runner-up in the 2001 Breeders’ Futurity before developing into a $3.6-million earner. Newgate is by Harlan’s Holiday’s top son, Into Mischief; Jin Tong is by Into Mischief’s $3 million-earning son Goldencents, a two-time Dirt Mile winner; and Good Heart is from the first crop of Harlan’s Holiday stallion Good Samaritan. 

Newgate’s dam, Majestic Presence, competed in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. By A.P. Indy’s son Majestic Warrior, Majestic Presence was beaten only a couple of lengths by champion Take Charge Brandi when third in the Delta Downs Princess (G3) and fourth in the Starlet (G1).

Good Heart is out of a full sister to High Heels, the 2007 Fantasy (G2) winner who was third to champion Rags to Riches in the Kentucky Oaks. High Heels is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 star On Fire Baby, fifth in the 2012 Oaks.

Two Phil’s is by Hard Spun, a veteran of the 2007 Triple Crown scene. Broodmare sire General Quarters made headlines on the 2009 trail for his elderly trainer, retired teacher and principal Tom McCarthy. Hero of the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland, General Quarters would win the Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill on 2010 Derby Day.