2017 Kentucky Derby: Always Dreaming Pedigree Profile
Always Dreaming earned his way into the 2017 Kentucky Derby starting gate with a dominant five-length victory in the Florida Derby (G1).
The Todd Pletcher trainee settled on the outside and tracked pace setter Three Rules for much of the race. Jockey John Velazquez had to steady Always Dreaming early in the race as Three Rules moved across to the rail. Always Dreaming settled down to press the pace outside of an anxious Stake of Honor. Johnny V. kept a firm hold of Always Dreaming before waking the colt up in the stretch. The bay colt lengthened stride beautifully, drawing off under a hand ride in to win by five lengths.
The final time of 1:47.47 was a tick off the stakes record of 1:47.00 set in 1978 by Alydar over the old Gulfstream Park dirt surface. Always Dreaming’s final Florida Derby Stakes time eclipsed the 1:47.72 set by Quality Road in 2009 over the reconfigured track. The current track record of 1:46.83 for 1 1/8 miles was recently set by Arrogate in the Pegasus Invitational.
Always Dreaming (Bodemeister - Above Perfection, by In Excess (IRE)) was bred by Santa Rosa Partners. He sold for $350,000 as a Keeneland September Yearling and is owned by Brooklyn Boyz Stables, Teresa Viola Racing Stables et al.
Bodemeister was declared the favorite for the Kentucky Derby off his huge score at Oaklawn. The colt led the Derby charge from the outset and, with a three-length lead in the stretch, looked like a clear winner. However, he was passed in late stretch by I’ll Have Another, beaten 1 ½ lengths. The Preakness Stakes was a slightly shorter version of the Kentucky Derby. Bodemeister favored over I’ll Have Another, took the lead from the outset, only to be run down by I’ll Have Another and lose the Black-Eyed Susans by a neck.
Shortly after the Preakness, Baffert declared Bodemeister from the Belmont Stakes. It was announced a few months later that Bodemeister was retiring to stud at WinStar Farm due to a nerve injury.
Bodemeister’s initial stud fee was $30,000. He was third on last year’s First Crop Sire list by earnings and currently is second on the Second Crop Sire list by earnings. Bodemeister is represented by 58 states, ten winners, and two stakes winners.
Bodemeister has similar breeding to our latest Triple Crown Champ. American Pharoah is by Pioneerof the Nile, a son of Empire Maker, out a mare by Storm Cat’s son Yankee Gentleman. The majority of Bodemeister’s offspring are expected to be later maturing and improve with racing and distance, so a classic winner wouldn’t be an unrealistic expectation from his first few crops.
Bodemeister has crossed remarkably well with A. P. Indy mares; Six starters, five winners with combined earnings of $150,887. Not surprising, since his sire Empire Maker has 14 winners and three stakes winners from A.P. Indy daughters, including Champion Royal Delta.
Always Dreaming’s half-sister Hot Dixie Chick was a speedy, win-early type. She captured the Spinaway (G1) and Schuylerville (G3) Stakes as a two-year-old and was multiple graded stakes placed at three. Hot Dixie Chick is a broodmare now, and her son Union Jackson won the Sam Houston Sprint Cup.
Above Perfection (In Excess (IRE) - Something Perfect, by Somethingfabulous) spent her racing career in California. The mare won or placed in five stakes races between six to seven furlongs. She captured the Las Flores Handicap (G3), Orinda Handicap, plus the Fleet Treat and Irish O'Brien Stakes. Additionally, Above Perfection placed second behind Champion Xtra Heat in the Prioress Stakes (G1). The dark bay mare liked to win and retired with a 10-7-1-0 ($380,737) race record.
Above Perfection bore a dozen foals. Seven have raced, and all seven have visited the winner’s circle. Hot Dixie Chick and Always Dreaming are the only two who have blacktype earnings. Always Dreaming has an unnamed two-year-old half-sister by Medaglia d'Oro and an unnamed yearling half-sister by Pioneerof the Nile.
Above Perfection is the most accomplished earner among her half siblings. Out of nine other half siblings, one half-sister, Made to Perfection, owned blacktype. The mare was a multiple listed/restricted earner of $190,775 as a sprinter in California.
Always Dreaming’s second dam Something Perfect (Somethingfabulous - Happening, by Terrang) was unraced. There are some minor blacktype earners in Always Dreaming’s third and fourth generations. Most are listed stakes winning sprinter milers.
His sons at stud include Indian Charlie (now deceased), Notional, Gibson County (now deceased), Rocky Bar and Uncle Denny. Notice something about all his top winners? None won past 1 1/8 miles, and many were considered top sprinter/milers. His sons are also siring miler types, although Indian Charlie did produce one winner at 1 ¼ miles.
As a broodmare sire, the same holds true. In Excess’ daughters have produced 26 stakes winners, including Breeders’ Cup Sprint champ Amazombie, Spinaway heroine Hot Dixie Chick, and Kentucky Distaff winner Bear Now. Out of those 26 stakes winners, only one, Lexie Lou has won at 1 ¼ miles. Three are winners at 1 1/8 miles, Always Dreaming, Bear Now (Tiznow), and Walk Close (Tapit).
Always Dreaming’s second damsire Somethingfablous is a younger, underperforming half-brother to the legendary Secretariat and to the excellent sires Sir Gaylord and Rossini. Somethingfablous finished in the money 11 tries out of 20 starts, including a third-place finish in the 1975 Flamingo Stakes. Somethingfablous is the second damsire of the graded stakes winning sprinter/milers Declan’s Moon, Leave Me Alone, and several listed blacktype earners.
Always Dreaming may carry a dominant large heart, received from his graded stakes winning dam, who may have received a copy from her sire, In Excess. Her damsire Somethingfabulous may have carried the large heart gene since his dam Somethingroyal was a double copy mare – meaning that she received a double dose of the gene from her sire Princequillo, a noted large heart sire, and her dam Imperatrice, herself a double copy mare. Colts who are suspected of having a dominant large heat gene have won the last four Kentucky Derbies.
Always Dreaming appeared anxious in breezes leading up to the Florida Derby, yet was focused and relaxed come game time. He has a long, ground-eating stride and appears athletic enough that if he has to steady in traffic, can soon pick it back up without losing too much ground. Always Dreaming has shown in previous starts that he can be placed anywhere in the race and still make his run.
The Kentucky Derby is shaping up to be a wide-open affair. Many early impressive stakes winners haven’t lived up to the hype. Always Dreaming didn’t beat much in the Florida Derby, except for the distance challenged Three Rules and the compromised late runner Gunnevera.
Always Dreaming’s dominant Florida Derby victory and quick final time may earn him the favorite’s role in this year’s Kentucky Derby, just like his sire in 2012.