2017 Kentucky Derby: Mastery Pedigree Profile

Most years, trainer Bob Baffert has a barn full of expensive two-year-olds. Some emerge as legitimate Kentucky Derby contenders. This year, one of the more intriguing Baffert prospects is the aptly named Mastery.

The lightly raced, yet undefeated Mastery has done everything asked of him in a deceptively easy manner. After wiring a field of seven maidens by 4 ¾ lengths in a sharp 1:09.56 for six furlongs, Mastery handled a group of four colts the same way in the Bob Hope Stakes (G3), clocking seven furlongs in 1:23.32 and winning by 1 ¼ lengths. 

Mastery faced another short field of four rivals in the Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity (Grade I). He displayed a slightly new dimension by pressing the pace in the early stages. In the Los Alamitos stretch, the leggy son of Candy Ride looked a fading Bobby Abu Dhabi and a struggling Irap in the eye and then shifted into another gear, capturing the 1 1/16 mile event in 1:41.56, 7 ¼ lengths clear of his nearest competitor.  

Jockey Mike Smith noted after the CashCall Futurity that Mastery is still learning. He commented post-race that the colt was looking around a little after he made the lead in the stretch and Smith had to give the colt a few taps to keep his mind on his business.  

Mastery (Candy Ride (ARG) - Steady Course, by Old Trieste) was bred in Kentucky by Arthur B. Hancock III’s Stone Farm. Mastery attracted $425,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling sale. He runs in the green and yellow silks of Cheyenne Stables LLC. Mastery has a 3-3-0-0 record, $271,200 in earnings, and ten Kentucky Derby Qualifying Points.

Sire

Mastery is by the unbeaten Argentinian sensation Candy Ride (Ride the Rails - Candy Girl (ARG), by Candy Stripes). The stallion was brought to the U.S. by veteran trainer Ron McAnally after eye-catching performances in a pair of Group 1 races in Argentina.  Candy Ride raced only three times in the US but had racegoers buzzing with excitement. After defeating allowance company going 1 1/16 miles on dirt, Candy Ride switched to turf and captured the 1 1/8 mile American Handicap (G-2).  He faced a small but tough field in the Pacific Classic and proved up to the task, beating Medaglia D’Oro by 3 ¾ lengths and setting a new track record for 1 ¼ miles in 1:59.11.  McAnally wanted a fresh horse for the following year and kept Candy Ride out of the Breeders’ Cup Classic.  While in training the following year, the stallion was injured and retired.

Many South American stallions haven’t lived up to expectations at stud in the U.S., so Candy Ride set about proving his stud value the hard way.  Standing initially for $10,000, the stallion’s fee gradually rose to $60,000 as his offspring showed their ability.   Candy Ride has been among the top five on the General Sire List by earnings for the last four years.  

Candy Ride’s progeny have their sire’s versatility and talent. His babies are tough, sound runners, who compile full careers. It isn’t uncommon to see stakes quality Candy Ride progeny compete until they’re five or six years old. Dirt, turf, synthetics, the Candy Rides run over every surface. 

Candy Ride’s offspring have a distance range of sprints to middle distances. This isn’t surprising since opportunities to race classic distances over dirt in the U.S. are limited. 

So far, only three of Candy Ride’s progeny have proved capable at 1 ¼ miles or farther; Champion Shared Belief captured the Pacific Classic and Santa Anita Handicap; Misremembered won the Santa Anita Handicap, and Grand Tito won the 1 3/8 mile Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2) on turf.

Besides the aforementioned, Candy Ride’s most accomplished runners include last year’s Louisiana Derby hero Gun Runner, plus graded stakes veterans Kettlecorn, Clubhouse Ride, Evita Argentina, Sidney’s Candy, Twirling Candy and Capt Candyman Can.

Mastery has similar breeding to the multiple graded stakes winner Chocolate Ride, who is out of a mare by Old Trieste. Chocolate Ride is a three-time stakes winner at 1 1/8 miles on the lawn.

Female Family

Mastery’s distaff line is a product of Overbrook Farm’s breeding program. This brilliant but fragile family has produced the champion sire and broodmare sire Miswaki, and the young stallion Jump Start.

Mastery’s third dam Hopespringsforever (Mr. Prospector – Hopespringseternal, by Buckpasser) is a full-sister to the Group One winner Miswaki. The stallion is probably best known as the sire of Champion Urban Sea, dam of Europe’s prolific sire Galileo and Champion Sea the Stars. Miswaki’s son Black Tie Affair was Champion Older Horse and captured the 1991 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Hopespringsforever campaigned in England, placing once in five starts. A very productive broodmare, the daughter of Mr. Prospector bore eleven foals.  Four of them earned blacktype; Union City (Private Account) placed in the San Rafael (G2) and Santa Anita Derby (G1); Apollo Cat (Storm Cat) captured the Coleen Stakes as a two-year-old; her full brother Ozzie Cat, placed in the Golden Gate Derby (G3); and their full sister Steady Cat was multiple stakes placed. 

Mastery’s second dam Steady Cat (Storm Cat) flashed early brilliance when she finished second in the Adirondack Stakes (G2) in her third start. The Overbrook Farm home-bred competed as a sprinter. She placed in five other stakes during her 19 race career, including the Shirly Jones Handicap (G3).

Steady Cat’s only blacktype earner was her first foal, the swift, but fragile Jump Start. The son of A.P. Indy raced only five times, winning the Saratoga Special (G2) and finishing second in the Champagne Stakes (G1). Sadly, Jump Start was injured in the 2001 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and had to be retired. Jump Start stands in Pennsylvania and shuttles to Argentina. His most accomplished offspring include Prayer for Relief, Pants on Fire and Rail Trip.

Mastery’s dam Steady Course (Old Trieste - Steady Cat, by Storm Cat) won her maiden in her fifth start and followed up with an allowance victory. The promising Steady Course finished fourth in her seventh and final race, the Fairgrounds Oaks (G2). The Overbrook homebred retired with a 7-2-3-0 ($93,405) race record.

Steady Course has six foals of racing age. Only four have made it to the starting gate. The daughter of Old Trieste was off to a good start as a broodmare when her first foal, the Empire Maker filly Clear Sailing, captured the 1 1/16 mile Pelleteri Stakes at the Fairgrounds. She also placed second, beaten a neck, in the Matron Stakes at Evangeline, running a mile on turf. Clear Sailing retired with an excellent 8-4-2-1 ($128,940) record.

Clear Sailing’s full brother Simon Kenton proves the fickle nature of the breeding game. The colt was born in 2011, and was 0-12 during his career, although he did hit the board four times.

Mastery is Steady Course’s third foal to race.  The mare was barren in 2015 but has an unnamed First Samurai weanling colt.

 Damsire

Old Trieste (A.P. Indy - Lovlier Linda, by Vigors) was a fixture on the California racing scene from 1997 – 1999. He was well-bred, by Belmont Stakes hero A.P. Indy out of the Grade One winner Lovlier Linda, who was successful from six to nine furlongs.  

Old Trieste showed signs of talent as a two-year-old when he placed in the Norfolk Stakes.  The beautiful Chestnut matured into a top California three-year-old and was untouchable, winning three straight graded stakes by a combined 21 ½ lengths and setting a then stakes record of 1:41.80 for 1 1/16 miles in the Affirmed Handicap.  Old Trieste captured four stakes races between a mile to 1 1/8 miles and retired with a 14-6-1-3 ($847,944) race record.

Old Trieste stood at Darley Stud's Jonabell Farm in Lexington. His stud career was cut short when the stallion died as an eight-year-old. From only three crops, Old Trieste sired 26 blacktype earners. His best offspring were multiple Grade One winning sprinter-miler Silver Train, Bluegrass Stakes hero Sinister Minister, and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Minister Eric. Old Trieste’s stakes winning offspring won up to 1 3/16 miles.

Old Trieste’s daughters have produced ten stakes winners. The majority are successful from a mile to 1 1/8 miles, but two have won stakes at 1 ¼ miles; Room Service (More Than Ready) captured the 2014 American Oaks over the lawn, and Belle Gallantey (After Market) won the 2014 Delaware Handicap on dirt.

Mastery’s second damsire Storm Cat has been cropping up in some elite pedigrees as a damsire or second damsire. Besides Mastery, Storm Cat is the second damsire of Donn Handicap hero Mishawish, G1 winner Better Lucky, Pennsylvania Derby victor Morning Line, 2012 CashCall Futurity winner Violence, and Mastery’s stablemate, Klimt.

Mastery may carry a dominant large heart (X-Factor) gene. His second through sixth sires, Storm Cat, Mr. Prospector, Buckpasser, and Princequillo, are noted large heart carriers and Mastery’s second through fourth dams are “double copy” mares, meaning that they received the gene through both their sire and dam lines.

Expectations

Mastery has the pedigree, looks and skill to be a serious contender on the 2017 Kentucky Derby Trail. His pedigree and conformation indicate that Mastery should handle 1 1/8 miles and perhaps 1 ¼ miles. The colt has a high cruising speed and flashed another gear while pulling away in the CashCall Futurity.  

Mastery has a fluid gait with good extension and no wasted movement. He is still a bit green and wanted to pull up after he had put away his challengers in the stretch of the CashCall Futurity. Mike Smith gave the colt a few left-handed taps, and Mastery immediately responded.  At this point, racing seems to be all fun and games for Mastery, and he’s just galloping along on raw talent.

Despite his pace-setting/pressing running style, Mastery doesn’t appear to be a “need the lead” type, and perhaps he’ll eventually learn to rate behind horses.

Mastery is a leggy colt and should fill out beautifully as he matures. He’s well-balanced and athletic with the conformation of a route horse. Mastery has a clear throat latch area (helps with breathing) and a nicely angled shoulder. He appears to carry good bone in his legs. The colt’s short back ties into nicely proportioned hindquarters. He has a beautiful head, intelligent eye, and yes, “curly” ears, which are a trait of horses who carry the large heart gene.  

CashCall Futurity victors evolve into legitimate Triple Crown contenders. Five of the last seven CashCall winners conditioned by Bob Baffert have won or placed in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes. Mastery may add his name to the roll call that includes “almost” Triple Crown champ Real Quiet, Preakness/Belmont Stakes hero Point Given, Preakness victor Lookin at Lucky, plus Kentucky Derby runner-ups Pioneerof The Nile and Dortmund.  Not bad company.

Photo of Mastery & Old Trieste by Benoit. Special thanks to Cindy Weeks of Cheyenne Stables.