Pedigree fun facts: American Promise

Mar 21, 2025 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

American Promise in the winner's circle after the Virginia Derby (Photo by Coady Media)

Triple Crown champion Justify has already sired an Epsom Derby (G1) winner, and now the hot international stallion has a Kentucky Derby (G1) contender in American Promise.

Yet that doesn’t even scratch the surface of American Promise’s pedigree. Classic influences abound on his maternal side as well. He’s out of the Tapit mare Tapella, a descendant of champions Thunder Gulch and Conquistador Cielo.

This is the immediate family of the much-loved Invisible Ink, who beat the odds just to survive before beating the odds as the runner-up in the 2001 Derby. And Hall of Famer A.P. Indy shows up three times in American Promise, only the most obvious of an entire substratum of repetitions in his ancestry.

Here are American Promise’s pedigree fun facts:

Justify made history during his Triple Crown sweep.

Unraced at two, and only starting his racing career on Feb. 18, 2018, Justify appeared up against it from a historical perspective to win the Kentucky Derby, let alone sweep all three jewels of the Triple Crown.

The 12 previous Triple Crown winners had experience of racing as juveniles. Moreover, in the entire history of the Kentucky Derby, only one winner – Apollo, all the way back in 1882 – had not raced as a two-year-old. Over the ensuing century, other contenders who just began racing at three went on to fail in the Derby, giving rise to the “Apollo curse.”

Justify rewrote the record book. Progressing rapidly in a very tight time frame, the chestnut rolled in the slop at Churchill Downs, survived an intense pace battle to add the Preakness (G1), and wired the Belmont (G1). He then retired undefeated, having crossed the wire first in all six starts.

Justify would be the fourth Triple Crown star to sire a Kentucky Derby winner.

If the Triple Crown winners’ club is a pretty select group, there’s an even more exclusive one – Triple Crown winners who sired a Derby winner. Only three have achieved that feat, most recently Seattle Slew (1977), courtesy of his champion son Swale (1984). Gallant Fox (1930) stands alone as a Triple Crown winner to have a son succeed him in all three jewels, Omaha (1935). Count Fleet (1943) furnished the 1951 Derby scorer, Count Turf. (Those three Triple Crown-winning sires, and Omaha too, are distant ancestors of Justify.)

They belong to a larger club of Derby-winning fathers and sons. A grand total of 12 Derby winners have sired Derby winners, but none have done so since Unbridled (1990) sent out Grindstone (1996).

Justify is only the second Kentucky Derby winner to sire an Epsom hero.

Justify is fulfilling hopes that he would emulate his own late sire Scat Daddy, a scion of the Storm Cat line, as a stallion of international import. In 2024, Justify’s leading son City of Troy won the Derby at Epsom, the original “Derby” that has inspired all others around the world. Until then, just one Kentucky Derby hero had featured on the Epsom sires’ honor roll – breed-shaper Northern Dancer (1964), who also happens to be the direct male-line ancestor of Justify.

Northern Dancer sired three Epsom Derby winners, beginning with the all-time great Nijinsky II (1970), the last horse to conquer the English Triple Crown. The Minstrel (1977) and Secreto (1984) prevailed by much narrower margins.

Justify aims to become the sixth stallion to turn an Epsom/Kentucky Derby double.

Five stallions have the distinction of siring winners of both classics, the latest being Nijinsky II himself. In fact, he even turned the double in the same year when Ferdinand and Shahrastani (1986) scored at Churchill and Epsom, respectively. Nijinsky II was responsible for two other Epsom winners, the unbeaten duo of Golden Fleece (1982) and Lammtarra (1995).

Not too long before, Hail to Reason sired Proud Clarion (1967) and Epsom winner Roberto (1972), both homebreds for John Galbreath’s Darby Dan Farm.

British import *Leamington set a precedent early on, getting inaugural Kentucky Derby winner Aristides (1875) and the first American-bred to plunder Epsom, Iroquois (1881).

The next member of this club was likewise a British import, *Blenheim II, who sired 1936 Epsom record-setter *Mahmoud as well as 1941 U.S. Triple Crown sweeper Whirlaway and 1947 Kentucky Derby victor Jet Pilot.

Pensive, the 1944 Kentucky Derby winner, was imported in utero (when his mother was in foal with him); his influential British sire, Hyperion, had already gotten Owen Tudor, successful in the 1941 Derby that was transferred from Epsom to Newmarket due to wartime exigencies.

Hyperion, *Blenheim II, and *Mahmoud are among the key building blocks in the pedigree of Northern Dancer, and *Leamington is a recurring presence deep in its recesses.

American Promise’s pedigree features repetitions of notable ancestors.

Looking at the first five generations of American Promise’s ancestry, you can spot duplications of Nijinsky II, supersire Mr. Prospector, and Pulpit, who contributes to a triple-shot of his own sire, A.P. Indy.

Yet the “five-cross” pedigree view doesn’t reveal just how often Nijinsky II (plus his sire Northern Dancer) and Mr. Prospector are lurking in the background; indeed, they are leitmotifs in the bloodlines of both Justify and Tapella.

American Promise’s half-sister was once under consideration for the Derby trail.

Tapella’s first foal, Hoosier Philly, compiled a perfect juvenile campaign highlighted by romps in the 2022 Rags to Riches S. and Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill. While that made her a top threat for the Kentucky Oaks (G1), the gray had been impressive enough for connections to entertain the Kentucky Derby trail. The idea was so serious that Hoosier Philly was even included in one pool of the 2023 Derby Future Wager.

Unfortunately, Hoosier Philly wound up losing against fillies, gave up the Derby dream, and didn’t make the Oaks either. But she has shown glimmers of her old talent when winning a few minor stakes, and she was a close third in the Jan. 25 Houston Ladies Classic (G3).

Tapella finished fourth in the Comely to a well-known broodmare.

Tapella won twice in her brief career, scoring back-to-back around a one-turn mile at Belmont Park in the fall of 2017. She stepped up in class and distance next time out in the 1 1/8-mile Comely (G3) at Aqueduct, where she tired to fourth in her only stakes appearance.

The dominant winner of that Comely was another Tapit filly, Actress, who had captured the Black-Eyed Susan (G2) earlier in the season. Actress has since produced millionaire Hit Show, the fifth-placer in the 2023 Derby now slated for the April 5 Dubai World Cup (G1).

Maternal grandfather Tapit’s influence is extending into the next generation.

Tapella’s sire, Tapit, is furthering the paternal legacy of Seattle Slew. Descending from “Slew’s” greatest son A.P. Indy, the hero of the 1992 Belmont and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), Tapit sired seven Breeders’ Cup winners – led by unbeaten 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline – and a record-tying four Belmont winners, including two-time Eclipse Award champion Essential Quality. He has yet to come up with a Kentucky Derby victor, but Tapit sophomore Sandman could try to fill that gap.

The real test of influence comes over time, and Tapit continues to make his mark through his sons and daughters. Among his paternal grandsons on the Derby trail are John Hancock and Statesman (both well-named colts by Constitution) and Flood Zone (by Frosted). Aside from American Promise, Tapit also sired the dams (mothers) of current Derby hopefuls Poster and Tiztastic and Kentucky Oaks candidates Tenma and Muhimma.

Others out of Tapit mares include 2023 Horse of the Year Cody’s Wish; 2023 Belmont and Travers (G1) champion Arcangelo; 2023 Kentucky Oaks champion Pretty Mischievous; multiple Japanese champion Gran Alegria (a daughter of 2009 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Tapitsfly); $2 million-earner Society; and Grade 1-winning millionaires Saudi Crown and Kingsbarns.

Grandmother Princess Arabella beat Good Magic’s mother in her perfect career.

Tapella is out of Princess Arabella, who demolished her three starts by a combined margin of 15 lengths. Her biggest win was an eight-length conquest of the 2012 Sunland Park Oaks. The distant second that day, Glinda the Good, eventually foaled champion Good Magic (sire of 2023 Derby hero Mage).

Princess Arabella would have been a prime player in the Kentucky Oaks, but she sustained an injury and never raced again. We’ll never know just how good she might have been.

Ancestor Any Given Saturday upstaged Curlin in the Haskell.

Princess Arabella is a daughter of Any Given Saturday, a member of the vintage sophomore class of 2007. His signature win came in the 2007 Haskell (G1), where he pounced on Hard Spun, got a decisive jump on Hall of Famer Curlin, and rolled by 4 1/2 lengths. In the process, Any Given Saturday proved that he was much better than his eighth-place finish in the Derby.

Bred on similar lines to 2003 Derby and Preakness champ Funny Cide, Any Given Saturday is by the outstanding sire Distorted Humor and out of an A.P. Indy mare. His leading progeny are $4.7 million-earner Hoppertunity and 2015 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) scorer Mongolian Saturday.

Princess Arabella is out of a sister to heartwarming Derby runner-up Invisible Ink.

Princess Arabella’s dam, Tortuga Lady, is herself a full sister to Invisible Ink, whose incredible story captured the hearts of Derby fans everywhere. As Steve Haskin recounted in Blood-Horse, Invisible Ink endured a horrifically cascading health crisis as a two-year-old that appeared certain to result in death. Yet thanks to the unwavering support of owner John Fort, and the ingenuity of veterinarians Carol Clark and Robert Copelan, the colt was ultimately saved by a humble remedy – rancid buttermilk!

It was miraculous that Invisible Ink lived at all after that devastating blow to his entire system, never mind that he would thrive so much physically or develop his talent on the racetrack. Earning his way to Louisville with a third in the Florida Derby (G1) and a fourth in the Blue Grass (G1), the 55-1 longshot showed his trademark bravery at Churchill. Invisible Ink outlasted Congaree for second behind deep-closing Monarchos in 1:59.97, still the second-fastest running of the Kentucky Derby.

The fastest Derby, of course, remains the 1973 edition won by the Triple Crown record-setter Secretariat in 1:59 2/5. As the maternal grandfather of Storm Cat and A.P. Indy, Secretariat is another recurring factor far back in the pedigree.

Ancestor Thunder Gulch won the 1995 Derby and Belmont.

Invisible Ink and Tortuga Lady were sired by Thunder Gulch, who came within three-quarters of a length of the Triple Crown in 1995. Like American Promise, Thunder Gulch was himself trained by the legendary D. Wayne Lukas.

Despite scoring hard-fought victories in the Remsen (G2), Fountain of Youth (G2), and Florida Derby, Thunder Gulch was overlooked at 24-1 in the Kentucky Derby because of a dull fourth in his last prep. But Thunder Gulch roared back to a decisive win at Churchill, missed narrowly to stablemate Timber Country in the Preakness, and established himself as the divisional champion with a streak including the Belmont and Travers.

Thunder Gulch’s best son, Hall of Famer Point Given, would win two of three jewels himself. A deflating fifth as the Derby favorite behind Monarchos and Invisible Ink, Point Given rebounded in the Preakness that had eluded his sire, crushed the Belmont by 12 1/4 lengths, and extended his skein in the Haskell and Travers.

Thunder Gulch also sired 2000 Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) upsetter Spain (yet another Lukas trainee) along with the mothers of 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic victor Bayern and 2015 Kentucky Oaks heroine Lovely Maria.

Ancestor Conquistador Cielo turned an amazing Met Mile/Belmont double.

Tortuga Lady’s dam, Conquistress, is by 1982 Horse of the Year Conquistador Cielo. A 14-length romper in the Belmont, he was the first of the late Hall of Famer Woody Stephens’ five consecutive winners of the final jewel.

Even more incredible was how Conquistador Cielo came into the Belmont. After missing the Derby and Preakness, the son of Mr. Prospector prepped in allowance races and took on older horses in the Metropolitan H. (G1) – historically held on Memorial Day. Conquistador Cielo thrashed them in track-record time in the “Met Mile” on that Monday, May 31, and wheeled back on Saturday, June 5, to win the Belmont by almost double the margin.

That gambit would be impossible today, not just because of the contemporary preference to space races out, but because the Met Mile is now run on Belmont Day.

American Promise hails from the family of 1964 Belmont winner Quadrangle.

Tracing the female line further back, one finds Tap Day, by the great patriarch Bull Lea. Tap Day is best remembered for producing Quadrangle, who won the Belmont in 1964 when Northern Dancer sought to complete the Triple Crown.

Quadrangle didn’t quite deny him single-handedly, since runner-up Roman Brother beat him too, and Northern Dancer wound up third. Quadrangle’s other marquee wins that year included the Wood Memorial, Dwyer, and the Travers.