2016 Kentucky Derby - Mor Spirit Pedigree Profile

Mor Spirit added his name to the growing list of 2016 Kentucky Derby contenders with a workmanlike 1 ¼ length victory in the Los Alamitos Futurity. 

Mor Spirit broke sharply, but backed off of the main group of pace setters in sixth place. The ridgling was under firm restraint on the outside while pulling top jock Gary Stevens the long way around the Los Alamitos oval. After going widest of all around the final turn, Mor Spirit settled into a long ground-eating stride and picked off his rivals. He ducked in slightly, but was immediately straightened by Stevens. Mor Spirit caught his stablemate Toews on Ice and powered by, giving trainer Bob Baffert an exacta finish. It was six lengths back to the third place horse, I'malreadythere.

Mor Spirit (Eskendereya - Im a Dixie Girl, by Dixie Union) was bred by the Elkstone Group, LLC. He was purchased as a yearling out of the 2014 Fasig Tipton October sale for $85,000 and then pinhooked to the 2015 Fasig Tipton March two year olds in training sale.  After working a furlong in :10.1, the son of Eskendereya was purchased for $650,000 and is owned by Michael Lund Petersen. 

After finishing second in his debut in September, Mor Spirit came back to earn his maiden win impressively by four lengths at Santa Anita. A month later, Bob Baffert shipped the dark bay to Kentucky for a start in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G-2). Gary Stevens kept the Mor Sprit three wide while pressing the pace in the 1 1/16 mile race to stay clear of muddy kickback, but they couldn’t hold off the more experienced Airoforce. Mor Spirit ends his two year old season with a 4: 2-2-0 ($288,400) race record and 14 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. 

Sire

Eskendereya (Giant's Causeway - Aldebaran Light, by Seattle Slew) was purchased as a yearling by Zayat Stables for $250,000.  The Chestnut colt finished second in his debut running 1 1/16 miles over the turf as a two year old. He won the Pilgrim Stakes the next time out on grass, and then he was tossed into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile against more experienced foes in his first dirt attempt, where he finished ninth.  

The Todd Pletcher trainee raced three times as a three year old, winning all three starts.  He looked like the second coming of Seattle Slew with an 8 ½ length romp in the  Fountain of Youth and a runaway victory in the Wood Memorial by 9 ½ lengths. The racing world was buzzing over this son of Giant’s Causeway. Eskendereya had the performance and pedigree to win the Triple Crown and he was installed as the 2010 Kentucky Derby favorite.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. Eskendereya developed a filing in his leg and was withheld from the Derby. The talented colt was retired a week after the Kentucky Derby due to soft tissue injury. Eskendereya earned $725,700 with a 6: 4-1-0 race record.

Eskendereya has a pedigree filled with stamina. His sire Giant's Causeway is routinely in the top five sire lists nationally, and has international acclaim as both a stallion and sire of sires. He is a Classic Chef-de-Race, which means that he is recognized for passing classic stamina to his offspring.

Eskendereya's damsire, Triple Crown Champ Seattle Slew (Brilliant/Classic Chef-de-Race), and his second damsire, the courageous Triple Crown runner-up Alydar (Classic Chef-de-Race), also offer plenty of stamina to Eskendereya's pedigree. 

Although Eskendereya's first three dams don't own blacktype, his first two dams bore blacktype runners. His fourth dam, Queen Sucree is a blue hen. She's the dam of Kentucky Derby hero Cannonade and also the grand-dam of Kentucky Derby runner-up Stephan's Odyssey. Eskendereya's  fifth dam Cosmah was 1974 Broodmare of the Year and the dam of influential sire Halo.

Eskendereya entered stud at Taylor Made Farms for an original stud fee $30,000. He had one of the best pedigrees in his class of freshmen stallions, and was part of a stellar line up which included Super Saver, Lookin at Lucky, Munnings, and Quality Road. 

However, Eskendereya’s offspring are rarely precocious types and develop with maturity.  In his first crop, the son of Giant's Causeway was represented by nine winners out of 39 starters and could boast only one stakes winner. Despite the claims of wanting more stamina in pedigrees, breeders avoided Eskendereya for the 2015 breeding season. His stud fee dropped to $17,000, and he covered 70 mares, half the number he had the year before. 

Japanese breeders know a good thing when they see it, and they took an interest in the classically-bred stallion. Eskendereya was sold and will stand in Japan next year.

Meanwhile, the stallion’s babies are starting to come into their own.  He is currently #4 on the Second Crop Sire List and has five stakes winners and five blacktype earners. Eskendereya’s legacy may be that of a filly sire, as all except two of his blacktype earners are fillies.

Female family

Mor Spirit is the seventh foal out of a precocious stakes winning sprinter. His dam Im a Dixie Girl (Dixie Union - Im Out First, by Allen's Prospect) made the majority of her 11 starts as a two year old.  The speedy youngster won the Colleen Stakes at Monmouth Park and the Pepsi Bassinet Stakes at River Downs. She also hit the board in the Astarita Stakes (G3) and Gowell Stakes at Turfway.  

Im a Dixie Girl raced only twice at three and her best placing was second in the Parts Unknown Stakes at Hawthorne. Im a Dixie Girl retired with a decent 11: 3-2-1 ($167,320) race record.

Up until her son Mor Spirit became the first blacktype earner in the immediate family, Im a Dixie Girl bore solid, but unremarkable runners. Her most notable progeny is Sheikinator (Curlin) a tough allowance class earner of $211,465 in 25 starts. Mor Spirit’s full brother, In For the Money, won two of three starts, but was injured and vanned off in the Riley Allison Stakes.

We don’t have to look far in Mor Spirit’s pedigree to find class. Im a Dixie Girl is a half sister to First Ascent (Cherokee Run), who is a minor stakes winner at 1 1/16 miles over the lawn. Mor Spirit’s second dam Im Out First (Allen’s Prospect) is a multiple stakes winner at 1 1/16 miles and she finished second in the 1 1/8 mile Sixty Sails Handicap (G3).  Im Out First is a half sister to the dam of Santa Anita Oaks heroine Stellar Wind (Curlin). Another half sister bore Breeders' Futurity (G1) and Robert B. Lewis (G2) hero Great Hunter (Aptitude).

Damsire

Mor Spirit shares the same damsire as Remsen Stakes winner Mohaymen who was profiled last week.

Dixie Union (Dixieland Band - She's Tops, by Capote) was a win-early type, earning victories in four of six attempts as a two year old. He captured the Hollywood Juvenile Championship Stakes (G-3), Best Pal (G-2), and the Norfolk Stakes (G-2) and finished second in the Del Mar Futurity, then a Grade 2.  Farther back than usual in the full field of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Dixie Union could do no better than fifth.  The dark brown colt stuck mainly to sprint stakes races as a three year old, but he managed to stretch his speed to 1 1/8 miles, earning a hard fought victory over the favorite Captain Steve.

Dixie Union won from 5 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles.  Overall, he won 7 of 12 starts and placed 3 times, mainly in Grade 2 and 3 company. The worst finishes in his career came in the BC Juvenile (5^th) and Travers Stakes (4^th).  As a sire, the majority of his offspring won from sprints to middle distances up to 1 1/8 miles, however, his son Union Rags won the Belmont Stakes and another son, Grasshopper, finished second in the Travers.

Dixie Union is a young broodmare sire. So far, most of his daughters are bearing precocious offspring. Cristina's Journey won last year’s Pocahontas Stakes, Besharah a 2015 two year old, has competed at the highest levels as stakes winning sprinter in England. The multiple stakes placed Wonder Gal is also out of a Dixie Union mare.   

Eskendereya has a small but potent sample of winners out of Dixie Union mares. With only four foals bred on this bloodline cross, all four are winners and one is now a Grade One winner.

Mor Spirit’s second damsire Allens Prospect was a solid fixture in Maryland and earned a reputation for getting consistent performers on the track. He is the second damsire of some acclaimed stakes winners, including Grade One winning sprinter Pussycat Doll,  her half brother Jimmy Creed, and half sister Funny Feeling, plus Midnight Lucky, who is closely related to Pussycat Doll;  Illinois Derby winner Done Talking and the stakes winning miler Bachelor Blues. 

Outlook

Mor Spirit appears to have a powerful, athletic body, however, there are no conformation photos available to give an accurate analysis. He is a smooth runner, with a long reach and really levels out once he gets into gear. The ridgling prefers to settle off of the pace and this will aid him with longer distances.

Mor Spirit’s pedigree is a blend of classic stamina and necessary speed. There’s no doubt that his sire would have performed brilliantly at 1 ¼ miles, however, Mor Spirit’s distaff line leans towards speed. One thing’s for certain, Mor Spirit should only improve as a three year old, and be a legitimate threat in his Derby prep races, especially if Gary Stevens stays on board. Stevens gave Baffert the first of back-to-back Kentucky Derby victories with Silver Charm in 1999. Can Mor Spirit add another Kentucky Derby trophy to his trainer and jockey’s substantial collections?