Pedigree fun facts: 2023 Champagne Stakes

Speightstown, also the sire of 2008 Champagne runner-up Munnings, sends out General Partner and Gold Sweep. Gold Sweep’s dam (mother), Wonder Brew, is by “Iron Horse” Giant’s Causeway, sire of 2005 Champagne victor First Samurai. Wonder Brew is herself out of Canadian champion filly Ginger Brew.

General Partner is out of a mare by Distorted Humor, who boasts three Champagne-winning grandsons. Distorted Humor is the paternal grandsire of Complexity (2018) and Jackie’s Warrior (2020), while a daughter produced Practical Joke (2016). 

Practical Joke is a son of perennial leading sire Into Mischief, who would join the club of stallions with multiple Champagne winners if Timberlake can step up. Into Mischief had a Champagne runner-up in his very first crop, Goldencents (2012), now an established sire in his own right.

Timberlake is out of a mare by 2010 Preakness (G1) star Lookin at Lucky, an Eclipse Award champion at both two and three. His dam, Irish-bred Pin Up, placed in the 1 3/4-mile Noel Murless S. at Ascot. She belongs to the accomplished European family of classic winner Yesterday and fellow Group 1 queen Quarter Moon, who placed in three classics.

Morning-line favorite Fierceness is by City of Light, like Speightstown a scion of the Gone West branch of the Mr. Prospector sire line. City of Light traces to another son of Gone West, Elusive Quality, via Quality Road. Fierceness is out of a half-sister to 2016 Wood Memorial (G1) scorer Outwork, who is in the headlines again as the sire of current Grade 1-winning juvenile filly Brightwork.

Fierceness’s dam, Nonna Bella, is by Stay Thirsty, the 2011 Travers (G1) hero and Belmont (G1) near-misser. Stay Thirsty is in turn a son of champion Bernardini. Winner of the 2006 Preakness and Travers, Bernardini sired 2015 Champagne victor Greenpointcrusader. 

Bernardini also shows up as the damsire of Dancing Groom, by hot freshman sire Vino Rosso, who has representatives in all three of Saturday’s Road to the Kentucky Derby. Vino Rosso hopes to become the second straight champion son of Curlin to get a Champagne winner in his first crop; last year, Good Magic’s colt Blazing Sevens captured the historic feature.

El Grande O comes from the same sire line as Bernardini, as a son of Take Charge Indy. Bernardini and Take Charge Indy are both by Hall of Famer A.P. Indy, the greatest son of 1977 Triple Crown legend – and 1976 Champagne romper – Seattle Slew. Take Charge Indy is out of outstanding racemare and Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady, a daughter of 1993 Champagne star Dehere.

El Grande O’s dam is by Unbridled’s Song, the fourth-placer in the 1995 Champagne before improving to land the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). Unbridled’s Song is the paternal grandsire of 2013 Champagne scorer Havana Cigar, and a further ancestor of others, including Jack Christopher (on the dam’s side).

Air Cav is from the first crop of champion sprinter Mitole, whose headliner is Pocahontas (G3) heroine V V’s Dream. From the Giant’s Causeway male line, via Eskendereya, Mitole is a half-brother to $5.6 million-earner Hot Rod Charlie. Air Cav is out of an Elusive Quality mare; thus his cross of Giant’s Causeway over Gone West reverses the pedigree pattern of rival Gold Sweep. 

To come full circle to Speightstown, he also factors as a direct male-line ancestor of longshot Sweet Soddy J, whose sire Bee Jersey is by Jersey Town. Sweet Soddy J’s female line descends from Noble Damsel, a turf performer honored by a Grade 3 stakes at Aqueduct on Sunday.