Derby Pedigrees: Is Midnight Bourbon a fighter?
Midnight Bourbon has hit the board in all seven starts. He bested Proxy and Mandaloun in the Lecomte (G3) then finished third in the Risen Star (G2) behind those rivals. The Steve Asmussen trainee chased California invader Hot Rod Charlie in the Louisiana Derby (G1) but had to settle for a clear second-best while his expected rivals, Mandaloun and Proxy, threw clunkers.
Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings bred Midnight Bourbon. Winchell Thoroughbreds purchased the bay son of Tiznow for $525,000 out of the Keeneland September yearling sale. The colt owns 66 qualifying points and is in ninth place on the 2021 Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
The last Lecomte hero to win the Kentucky Derby was War Emblem (2002). But Derby runner-ups include Hard Spun (2007), Golden Soul (second in Ledomte and Kentucky Derby 2013). Oxbow (2013) and War of Will (2019) captured the LeCdmte and Preakness.
Pedigree: Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow - Catch the Moon, by Malibu Moon) has the pedigree and conformation to run all day, but in a battle, he will back down. He wasn’t challenged in the LeComte or his maiden victory. (Click here for the Midnight Bourbon pedigree chart.)
Retired in October 2020, Hall of Famer Tiznow was a solid sire, noted for getting large two-turn types that progressed with maturity. Sadly, none of his progeny won the Kentucky Derby or Preakness, yet his son Da Tara won the 2008 Belmont Stakes.
Midnight Bourbon’s dam, the unraced Catch the Moon (Malibu Moon - Catch My Fancy, by Yes It’s True), is a phenomenal broodmare. She hit a home run with her first foal, the very precocious Cocked and Loaded (Colonel John). The brilliant colt won three of six starts as a 2-year-old, including and the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill. Cocked and Loaded also placed in the Bay Shore (G3) as a 3-year-old. A veteran of 21 starts, Cocked and Loaded earned $497,660.
Next up, Girvin (Tale of Ekati) captured the Louisiana Derby (G1) and Haskell Invitational (G1), as well as the Risen Star (G2). He placed in the Ohio Derby and Steve Sexton Mile, both Grade 3 events. Girven earned $1,624,392 in ten outings.
Catch the Moon’s third foal, Pirate’s Punch (Shanghai Bobby), won the Salvator Mile (G3) and placed in the Philip H. Iselin (G3), Mineshaft Stakes, and Super Derby. The gelding started 18 times and earned $332,751.
Midnight Bourbon is Catch the Moon’s fourth foal. Next in the pipeline is her 2-year-old unnamed son by Curlin, who was bought for $500,000 by Shadwell Estate. The mare has an unnamed yearling colt by Quality Road that we can look forward to seeing in coming years.
Catch the Moon’s dam Catch My Fancy (Yes It’s True - Walk Away Rene, by Gold Alert) captured her first two starts, one of which was the Barretts Debutante Stakes for California-bred fillies. Her form didn’t hold as a 3-year-old, but she did capture the six-furlong Fairfield Stakes. She bore a pair of stakes-winning sprinters, What a Catch and Dubini.
So why is Catch the Moon throwing such classy babies? Her dam My Fancy has 3S x 2D inbreeding to the hardy, multiple stakes-winning sprinter Monique Rene (Prince of Ascot). Catch My Fancy’s sire, Yes It’s True, is out of Clever Monique, making Monique Rene his second dam. Yes It’s True was bred to Walk Away Rene, a daughter of Monique Rene.
Monique Rene is Midnight Bourbon’s fourth dam. The hardy mare was a staple on the Louisiana racing circuit, cycling between Fair Grounds, Louisiana Downs and now-defunct Jefferson Downs. Monique Rene started 45 times and enjoyed having her photo taken in the winner’s circle 29 times, 15 of them stakes races. She was second or third eight times. Monique Rene competed at the state-bred level as a sprinter against fillies and colts. Besides the multiple graded stakes-winning sprinter and sire Yes It’s True, Monique Rene’s notable descendants include Canada’s 2000 champion 3-year-old colt Kiss a Native, and multiple graded turf miler, Silver Max.
The Tiznow/Malibu Moon cross has produced one other stakes winner, last year’s Matron Stakes (G3) winner Royal Approval.