Kentucky Derby 2016: Outwork Pedigree Profile

What would the Kentucky Derby be without two or three entries from Todd Pletcher’s stable? Outwork added his name to the Kentucky Derby 2016 roster after a thrilling victory by a bare head in the Wood Memorial (G1).

Racing two and three wide, Outwork pressed a speedy pace set by Matt King Coal.  After clicking off six furlongs in 12.31, Matt King Coal had enough and began his retreat. Outwork inherited the lead, but had to contend with the very tough maiden Trojan Nation to his inside.  John Velazquez kept Trojan Nation and Aaron Gryder pinned narrowly on the rail, but the two were persistent, fighting their rivals down the stretch to a head bob at the wire. Outwork completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.82 over a sloppy Aqueduct track, getting his last eighth in a staggering 14.2. Adventist made a late run to capture third place over a game but tiring Matt King Coal.

OUTWORK  (Uncle Mo - Nonna Mia, by Empire Maker) is a homebred colt racing in the familiar blue and orange silks of Repole Stable.  They campaigned Outwork’s sire and dam. Both were conditioned by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez. Previously, Outwork battled gamely in the Tampa Bay Derby against his stablemate Destin. It took Destin’s track record setting performance to beat Outwork by a length. Outwork won his debut last April during the Keeneland spring meet. He was out of action until winning an optional claimer at Tampa Bay Downs in February.  Outwork has compiled $701,800 in earnings and 120 Derby qualifying points with a 4-3-1-0 race record.

Sire:

The 2010 Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie - Playa Maya, by Arch) was considered by many to be the most talented colt of his generation. Besides locking up the Two Year Old Championship with a decisive victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Uncle Mo gave an impressive display of speed and determination while winning the Champagne Stakes. His final time of 1:34.51 was a fifth off of the stakes record, and he tied Seattle Slew for the second fastest running of the Champagne.

Uncle Mo’s three-year-old season was marred by illness. After suffering his first defeat in the Wood Memorial and bypassing the 2011 Kentucky Derby, it was discovered that the colt suffered from a rare liver disease.  

Uncle Mo recovered, obviously, and continued his racing career. He returned in the King’s Bishop Stakes (G-1), an ambitious undertaking, coming back off of a layoff and illness. In a display of game determination, which he’s passing to his offspring, Uncle Mo missed the victory by a scant nose

Uncle Mo rebounded in his next start, the Kelso Handicap (G-2), a mile dirt race in which he beat three rivals.  The three year old made his final career start in the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he finished tenth. 

Uncle Mo retired to stand stud at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud where he quickly set about siring tough, classy competitors. Very few stallions have produced such a quality first crop.  The son of Indian Charlie was last year’s Freshman sire. Uncle Mo has one Champion, five graded stakes winners, 12 listed/restricted stakes winners and nine are stakes placed – from only 98 foals.

Uncle Mo’s progeny, led by two year old champ and Kentucky Derby favorite, Nyquist, have combined earnings of over $4 million dollars.  

Uncle Mo’s sire Indian Charlie and second tail sire In Excess passed along brilliant, fragile speed to their offspring. Indian Charlie’s offspring were competitive to 1 1/8 miles, although he did get two winners at 1 ¼ miles. The distance question is still out on Uncle Mo. With only one crop on the track, he’s already proving to be a better sire than Indian Charlie and In Excess. I expect that like his sire, Uncle Mo’s babies will be best up to 1 1/8 miles, but when bred to a mare with stamina influences, he may get the occasional winner at 1 ¼ miles.

Besides Outwork and Nyquist, Uncle Mo’s sons Mo Tom and Laoban have 32 Kentucky Derby qualifying points and another son, Uncle Lino has 29.  Uncle Mo is represented by two Kentucky Oaks hopefuls in the top 20 spots on the leaderboard; Mo d’Amour with 70 points and Gomo with 20 points.

Female family:

Outwork’s female family is enjoying a resurgence of class due to careful cultivation of stakes winning mares. His sixth dam Now What was a Champion Two Year Old Filly and bore two-time Champion, Next Move. Hall of Fame inductee Miesque and G1 winner and sire Slew City Slew are descended from this distaff family.

Outwork’s dam Nonna Mia (Empire Maker - Holy Bubbette, by Holy Bull) wasn’t as precocious as her offspring on the racetrack.  After winning her second attempt in September, the filly placed third in the Frizette (G1) and Tempted Stakes (G3).  Nona Mia raced three times as a three year old, all in dirt sprints, despite having the pedigree to run two turns.  She won an allowance and placed in the Loudonville Stakes at Saratoga.  Nona Mia retired with a 7-2-1-2 ($127,150) record.

Outwork is the second foal produced by Nonna Mia. His half brother Nonna's Boy (Distorted Humor) was also precocious, winning his debut as a June two year old. Nonna’s boy won the 1 1/16 mile Lamplighter Stakes over the Monmouth turf and placed in two listed stakes.  The pair have an unnamed two year old half sister by Stay Thirsty and an unnamed yearling half brother by Malibu Moon.

Nona Mia is a half sister to Holy Bull Stakes hero Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile) and to Holdin Bullets (Ghostzapper), who was third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint.

Outwork’s second dam Holy Bubbette (Holy Bull) is a multiple stakes winning sprinter. She’s a half sister to G-2 winner Sum Gal (Summing) and to Ms Louisett (Siphon) who placed in the Oak Leaf (G1), and bore a stakes placed filly.

Damsire:

Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker (Unbridled - Toussaud, by El Gran Senor) stood at stud in the U.S. for eight years before being sold to Japan. During that time, he became known as a “filly sire,” his daughters were more accomplished than his sons. Empire Maker sired the champion mare Royal Delta, plus eight other Grade 1 winning mares. His Grade 1 winning sons include Pioneerof the Nile, Bodemeister, and the geldings Action Plan and Chosen Empire.  Empire was brought back to the U.S. and renewed his stud career this year.

As a broodmare sire, Empire Maker is represented by 175 runners and eleven stakes winners. Outwork is Empire Maker’s first Grade 1 winner as a broodmare sire.  The turf router Takeover Target, victor of the Nat. Museum Racing Hall of Fame Handicap (G2) and Hill Prince Stakes (G3) is Empire Maker’s only other US graded stakes winner.

Empire Maker is noted for passing stamina to his offspring. His daughters will likely pass this affinity to their foals.

Outwork’s second damsire HOLY BULL earned honors as Champion Three Year Old and Horse of the Year after a stellar campaign that included victories in the Florida Derby, Met Mile, Haskell Invitational, Travers and Woodward Stakes.

Currently, of the offspring of Holy Bull’s daughters have won a stakes beyond 1 1/8 miles on any surface.  As a sire, Holy Bull has one stakes winner a 1 ¼ miles, the Kentucky Derby long-shot winner Giacomo. 

Outlook:

Outwork’s pedigree for getting classic distances is borderline to good. There’s class in his female family and having Empire Maker as a damsire doesn’t hurt, but the distance capabilities of his sire’s offspring remains to be answered.

It’s hard to give an accurate conformation profile with the photo provided of Outwork, although he appears to favor his sire, as a majority of Uncle Mo’s progeny do.  Outwork has high knee action and paddles slightly with his right fore.

The colt’s determination had a lot to say in the outcome of the Wood Memorial. Outwork was shortening stride and like most of the rest, was floundering in the mud.  Outwork has no two year old foundation to speak of. He’s jumped from a six furlong optional claimer in February to 1 1/8 miles in just three months.

The Wood Memorial has faded as a legitimate measure of class for Kentucky Derby contestants over the last dozen years. Since 2004, none of the top three finishers in the Wood Memorial have finished in the top three in the Kentucky Derby.  Yet, the Wood Memorial hasn’t lost all significance as a Derby prep. From 2013 – 2015 Wood Memorial participants have completed the Derby Superfecta.  

Outwork is one of many colts who will want to sit close to the pace in a Kentucky Derby shaping up with a lot of speed.  His lack of two year old foundation and two tough races back to back may set Outwork up for a regression.  One thing in the colt’s favor is that we know he can handle the slop. He may be a useful play for Derby exotics.

Photo of Nona Mia used by permission of Kacy Hayes of Event of the Year Photos.