Tales from the Crib: Rodriguez

Apr 27, 2025 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Rodriguez as a newborn

Rodriguez as a newborn (Photo courtesy of Roderick Wachman)

Roderick Wachman is known for scouting out high-profile winners, and David Egan’s family farm produced the world’s all-time richest racehorse. Now the Irishmen have another achievement on their resumes as the co-breeders of Kentucky Derby (G1) contender Rodriguez. The statuesque dark bay will try to emulate his sire, Authentic, who captured the pandemic-delayed Derby in 2020.

Eight years ago, Wachman and Egan were briefly in this position with Rodriguez’s three-quarter brother One Liner, who started off with a three-race winning streak capped by the 2017 Southwest (G3). But One Liner was subsequently knocked off the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Rodriguez has advanced much farther on the trail, bringing a rapidly improving profile to Churchill Downs.

Wachman experienced a Triple Crown highlight last year, courtesy of Seize the Grey in the Preakness (G1). He was involved in the selection of Seize the Grey as a yearling on behalf of MyRacehorse.

For the same micro-share syndicate, Wachman helped to source eventual Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) champion Straight No Chaser as a two-year-old in training. He’s also active on the sales scene as a consignor; under his Kingswood Farm banner, Wachman sold Mopotism, the mother of Derby favorite Journalism.

While Kentucky-based Wachman belongs to the Irish diaspora, Egan remains at Corduff Stud in County Kildare. The nursery is renowned as the co-breeder of Hong Kong supremo Romantic Warrior, whose bankroll exceeds $27 million.

Aside from sweeping the major prizes at his home base of Sha Tin, Romantic Warrior has plundered prestigious races on the international stage. His victories in Australia’s Cox Plate (G1) and Japan’s Yasuda Kinen (G1) contributed to his world-record earnings. Romantic Warrior embarked upon a Mideast tour of duty this season, conquering the Jebel Hatta (G1) in course-record time on the Meydan turf before a gallant second when trying dirt in the Saudi Cup (G1). He was just worn down by Japanese star Forever Young, whom Derby fans will remember for his near-miss third here a year ago.

Rodriguez hails from the Bluegrass, like his Kentucky-bred parents, and his family includes Grade 1 dirt celebrities Albertus Maximus, Daredevil, Here Comes Ben, and Dayoutoftheoffice. But European angles can be found as well. Although his mother, Cayala, spent the bulk of her racing career in Southern California, she raced a few times in Germany. Her female line is also responsible for Group 1 winner King Charlemagne, France’s top-rated sophomore sprinter of 2001.

Egan was familiar with Cayala from her youth, when she was a successful “pinhook” for him. The daughter of champion sprinter Cherokee Run was bought for just $75,000 as a weanling but resold for $140,000 as a yearling.

When Cayala turned up at the end of her four-year-old season in the Tattersalls December Sale, cataloged as a horse out of training, she was available at a bargain price. Wachman bought her for 17,000 guineas (approximately $27,556), and Egan was once more invested in her as a partner. She proved to be profitable again, this time through her offspring.

Bred to Into Mischief several times before he became North America’s record-setting sire, Cayala produced a series of good-looking foals who paid dividends at the sales. Her first was One Liner, a $150,000 Keeneland January yearling. Roderick, a future stakes-placed performer, commanded $550,000 as a yearling at Keeneland September, and his younger brother Provocateur went for $600,000 at the same venue the following year. Provocateur developed into a smart sophomore sprinter of 2022, winning the Jersey Shore S. and Hutcheson S. and placing in the Woody Stephens (G1).

Given Cayala’s affinity for Into Mischief, it made sense for her to visit his Derby-winning son Authentic in his first season at stud. He’d just crowned his career in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) in track-record time at Keeneland, and in the process, clinched 2020 Horse of the Year honors.

But Cayala isn’t the easiest to get in foal. She tends not to cycle early in the season, and it took three trysts with Authentic before she conceived. Thus the baby we know as Rodriguez was born later. His May 20 birthday makes him the youngest of all the 2025 Derby entrants.

Cayala didn’t produce another foal for three years, until this spring. She recently had an Authentic filly, a full sister to Rodriguez.

Rodriguez was foaled and raised at Benson Farm, giving him immediate crossover appeal for sports fans. The farm belongs to Gayle Benson, the owner of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans. She and her late husband, Tom, rechristened the historic Bourbon County property formerly known as Greenwood Lodge. One exceptional feature on the farm is a private chapel that was consecrated by New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond.

David Shone, the farm manager, was relieved that Rodriguez’s foaling was uneventful. Cayala had a problematic delivery with her prior foal, a filly born in 2020.

“She was an upside down presentation, and we had to rush the mare to the clinic to have the foal delivered there,” Shone said.

The filly, by Flatter, ended up having a productive career on the track. Named Nomadic Pride, she would go on to win two races and finish fourth in the 2023 Remington Park Oaks (G3).

With that background, it’s understandable that Shone was “a little nervous before he [Rodriguez] was born,” but everything went smoothly.

“Rodriguez as it turned out was a pretty routine foaling, thankfully with no complications. He was born at 12:50 a.m. on May 20, 2022, and was up on his feet in a little under an hour, and nursing about an hour after that again.”

The colt had a similarly smooth passage through babyhood.

“As a foal and yearling, Rodriguez was actually pretty straightforward, and his time here was pretty uneventful,” Shone recalled.

“Personality or temperament-wise, he was not bad but always a bit on the nervous side. He had a habit of chewing or rubbing on any bandages he had on. Most of Cayala’s progeny have a nervous disposition, and Rodriguez was actually much calmer than some of his brothers who had come before.”

Rodriguez as a spring yearling

Rodriguez as a spring yearling (Photo courtesy of Roderick Wachman)

Rodriguez also had greater height than one might have imagined for a May 20 foal, perhaps reflecting the influence of Authentic.

“Despite being a late foal, he was quite tall for his age, especially considering his mother is a small mare,” Shone said, “and he managed to flourish into a nice-looking yearling by the time the September Sale came around.”

The striking colt, who was offered through the Indian Creek consignment, upheld family tradition by selling for $485,000. Like sire Authentic at the same sale five years earlier, he was found by ace bloodstock advisor Donato Lanni for an ownership consortium led by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables.

Dubbed “The Avengers,” in an allusion to the Marvel Comics superheroes, these heavyweights of the sport band together to buy colts with the potential to become top stallion prospects – if they pan out on the racetrack. Their recruits are trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

The same connections also have Citizen Bull, last year’s champion two-year-old colt, in the Kentucky Derby. A third qualifier, Madaket Road, opted to run on the undercard in Saturday’s Pat Day Mile (G2) instead.

Rodriguez was named in honor of the musician Sixto Rodriguez, as SF Bloodstock’s Tom Ryan revealed:

Along with Citizen Bull and Madaket Road, Rodriguez learned his early lessons from Eddie Woods in Ocala, Florida. The same esteemed school produced Authentic and 2008 Derby and Preakness romper Big Brown, among others.

While Citizen Bull debuted last summer, Rodriguez needed more time. That was only natural for such a late foal, but he was also following the pattern of Authentic. Both father and son started their careers in November at Del Mar, and both have been most effective when able to dictate on the front end.

Rodriguez argued the pace in his 6 1/2-furlong debut before tiring to second. He was a different proposition going a mile at Santa Anita, where he wired the field by seven lengths. Stalking mode did not suit him in the Robert B. Lewis (G3), when second to stablemate Citizen Bull, or in the San Felipe (G2), resulting in a distant third behind Journalism.

Shipped across the country to Aqueduct for the Wood Memorial (G2), Rodriguez scored a breakthrough to earn his spot in the Derby. He leveraged his advantageous position as the controlling speed on the rail and rolled by 3 1/2 lengths. Even better, Rodriguez clocked a strong time of 1:48.15 for 1 1/8 miles.

Baffert believed that new rider Mike Smith fit Rodriguez well, and they will continue their partnership at Churchill Downs. The Hall of Fame trainer/jockey tandem previously teamed up with a late-blooming speed horse in Justify, who swept the 2018 Triple Crown.

The main question is if Rodriguez is ready to peak on the first Saturday in May. He won’t celebrate his actual third birthday until a couple of weeks after the Derby, and sire Authentic was at his best in the fall of his sophomore season. Indeed, the postponement of the 2020 Run for the Roses to Labor Day weekend arguably helped him to win a classic that he might not have won in the spring.

Considering that Authentic gave Baffert a record-tying sixth victory in the Kentucky Derby, it would be fitting if his son were to become the record-breaking number seven.

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