Kentucky Derby 2015 - Carpe Diem Pedigree Profile

Carpe Diem made the most of his day on Saturday, first throwing a temper tantrum before loading into the gate, and then seizing control of the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby.

 

During much of the 1 1/16 miles race, John Velazquez let the colt stalk the pacesetters from the inside in third. Rounding the far turn, Carpe Diem was switched to the outside and grabbed the lead. Opening up by five lengths, the Todd Pletcher trainee flashed under the finish line in 1:43.60. Ami’s Flatter moved from the back of the pack to grab second place, 2 ½ lengths in front of Divining Rod, who had set the pace. Carpe Diem’s final time was slightly quicker than last year’s winner Ring Weekend (1:43.70) and 2013’s Verrazano (1:43.96). The stakes record is held by Street Sense (1:43.11). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carpe Diem justified his purchase price in his first two starts, earning a maiden victory at first asking and then towering over a full field in the Breeders' Futurity at Keenland by 6 ¼ lengths.  Carpe Diem entered the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile as the favorite, but was stuck wide in Los Angeles traffic for much of the way.  He progressed six wide around the field to nose out Upstart for second place. The Tampa Bay Derby was Carpe Diem’s first start as a three year old.  The colt has amassed $229,950 in a 4-3-1-0 career and has 64 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

 

 

Carpe Diem is by the international sire sensation, Giant’s Causeway. Nicknamed “Iron Horse” for his exploits over the European courses, Giant’s Causeway triumphed in six Group 1 contests. In his only start over dirt, the talented colt finished second by a head to the gallant Tiznow in the 2000 running of the Breeders’ Cup Classic after a long European campaign. That same year, Giant’s Causeway earned European Horse of the Year honors.

 

Giant’s Causeway, a son of the legendary sire Storm Cat, has been amongst the leading stallions since going to stud in 2001. He led the U.S. sires list in 2009, 2010 and 2012.  His offspring quickly dominated at longer distances, so much so, that in 2010, Giant’s Causeway was recognized as a Classic chef-de-race, which acknowledges that he passes stamina attributes to his offspring. Although many of his progeny are best over turf, Giant’s Causeway has sired twelve dirt stakes winners at 1 ¼ miles or farther, including Suburban Handicap (G-1) hero Frost Giant, Fairbanks, winner of the Hawthorne Gold Cup, and Delaware Handicap heroine Swift Temper.

 

GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (Storm Cat - Mariah's Storm, by Rahy)

Race record: 13-9-4-0 ($3,078,989)

2000 – European Horse of the Year

2000 – Champion 3YO Colt, England & Ireland

 

Career highlights:

1^st –  Juddmonte International (Gr.1) 1 ¼ miles

1^st –  Coral-Eclipse Stakes (Gr.1) 1 ¼ miles

1^st –  Irish Champion Stakes (Gr.1) 1 ¼ miles

1^st –  Sussex Stakes (Gr.1) 1 mile

1^st –  St. James's Palace Stakes (Gr.1) 1 mile

1^st –  Prix de la Salamandre (Gr.1) 7F

2^nd – Breeders’ Cup Classic (G-1) 1 ¼ miles

 

 

Rebridled Dreams made twenty starts during her racing career. As a three year old, the bay daughter of Unbridled’s Song won a minor stakes at Hawthorne running 1 1/16 miles over the dirt. She also finished third in the Silverbulletday Stakes (G-2) at the Fairgrounds and was fourth, beaten ¾ length for third, in the Fairgrounds Oaks (G-2). Rebridled Dreams retired as a four year old with a 20-4-1-1 ($134,663) record.

Carpe Diem is the sixth foal and third blacktype winner foaled by Rebridled Dreams. All of her foals of racing age made it to the track and five are winners. Her first foal, Doncaster Rover (War Chant) is a stakes winning sprinter in England. 34 of his 38 starts were in stakes races and he placed multiple times at the Group 2 and 3 level.  Rebridled Dreams’ third foal J. B.'s Thunder (Thunder Gulch) faced the starter seven times, and earned blacktype status with a victory in the Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (G-1).  Rebridled Dreams has an unnamed two year old Distorted Humor colt and an unnamed Malibu Moon yearling filly.

 

Rebridled Dreams is the most accomplished foal produced by her dam Key Cents (Corridor Key). Key Cents is a veteran of 41 races and spent her career bouncing between the claiming and allowance levels.  She did string together back to back wins in the Iroquois and Schenectady Handicaps at Belmont Park as a five year old.

 

Overall, Carpe Diem’s female family is comprised mainly of claiming/allowance types with some minor blacktype earners scattered throughout. There is quality farther back in the family, as Carpe Diem descends from the Calumet Farm-bred Twilight Tear, who was the first filly to be named Horse of the Year back in 1944. She is Carpe Diem’s eighth dam.

 

Other than Unbridled’s Song, who clearly upgraded the class of this particular branch, Carpe Diem’s second and third damsires (Corridor Key, a son of Danzig and Preakness hero Alomas Ruler) weren’t particularly accomplished in the breeding shed.

 

 

 

 

Unbridled’s Song has made his mark as a popular sire of sires as well as demonstrating his proficiency as a broodmare sire. The deceased stallion’s daughters bear offspring that win over all surfaces and distances, however, their progeny that race over dirt are best from sprints to middle distances.  Unbridled’s Song is the broodmare sire of 75 stakes winners, eight of whom are winners at 1 1/14 miles; however, all of these victories came over turf and Polytrack. Dirt is another issue. Only four of his daughter's offspring have won a stakes race at 1 1/8 miles over the surface, and while none have won a stakes at 1 ¼ miles over the dirt, four of them have finished second or third.

 

Besides Carpe Diem, Unbridled’s Song is the damsire of recent Gotham Stakes (G-3) winner El Kabeir.

UNBRIDLED’S SONG (Unbridled – Trolley Song, by Caro)

Race Record: 12-5-4-0 ($1,311,800)

 

Career Highlights:

1st - Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G-1) 1 1/16 miles

1st - Florida Derby (G-1) 1 1/8 miles

1st - Wood Memorial Stakes (G-2) 1 1/8 miles

1st - Olympic Handicap 7F

2nd - Hutcheson Stakes (G-2) 7F

2nd - Fountain of Youth Stakes (G-2) 1 1/6 miles

2nd - Peter Pan Stakes (G-2) 1 1/8 miles

 

 

The Giant’s Causeway/Unbridled’s song crossing is very popular and has resulted in 52 foals of racing age. Of those, 29 made it to the track and 15 are winners.  Five are blacktype earners and three are stakes winners.  The most accomplished stakes winner is Hold Me Back, winner of the 1 1/8 mile Lanes End (G-2) and 1 ¼ mile Dominion Day Stakes (G-3), both over Polytrack. Hold Me Back also placed in the 2009 Travers Stakes (G-1) over a sloppy track.  

 

 

Carpe Diem is a large colt, appearing over 16 hands high.  He’s athletically balanced, with well-developed muscles, yet he’s not overly muscular.  Carpe Diem has a deep, well angled shoulder. His neck and withers blend into a short back, and he has a powerful hind end with a long, strong hip. Carpe Diem has a smooth gait of average extension. He has correct action from both the front and side views with no wasted movement. He runs in a straight line, without drifting from the whip.

 

Carpe Diem’s conformation and pedigree indicate that he may handle 1 ¼ miles, but it could be at the top of his scope.  Although Giant’s Causeway offers plenty of stamina, Carpe Diem’s distaff half is closer to miler through middle distance ranges. If Carpe Diem were to win the Kentucky Derby, he’d be the first out of an Unbridled’s Song mare to handle the distance over the dirt. Yes, there’s always a first time and the colt’s conformation, talent and running style will be a major factor in determining if he can handle the demands of the 2015 Kentucky Derby.

 

Carpe Diem outclassed a “B” rated field in the Tampa Bay Derby, but he did so off of a long layoff. He was also impressive in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, where he didn’t get the best of trips. Carpe Diem’s next step forward may be in either the Wood Memorial or Bluegrass Stakes. Carpe Diem could indeed seize the first Saturday in May.