Kentucky Derby 2015 - Materiality Pedigree Profile

This year’s Florida race series prepping for the 2015 Kentucky Derby were won by three different horses. Materiality, the winner of the Florida Derby (G-1) is the the newest star, and latest Todd Pletcher charge,to add his name to the list. The son of Afleet Alex wasn’t even on the public radar four months ago, so what are his Triple Crown chances? 

Materiality has been perfect in three starts, all at Gulfstream Park. The bay colt won his six furlong debut on January 11, in a swift 1:10.32.  Two months later he stretched out to 1 1/8 miles to capture the Islamorada Handicap in a 5 ¾ length romp. Anticipation was high for a meeting between Upstart, winner of the Holy Bull and DQ’d from first in the Fountain of Youth, and the up and coming Materiality. The two hooked up for a virtual match race at the ¾ pole, racing away from the field by over seven lengths. Materiality drifted into the path of Upstart in the stretch with a déjà vu move reminiscent of the Fountain of Youth, when Upstart did the same to Itsaknockout, yet no claim of foul was called. The final time of 1:52.30 was the slowest in decades and both Materiality and Upstart were clearly tired through the stretch of the race.

MATERIALITY (Afleet Alex - Wildwood Flower, by Langfuhr) was bred by John D. Gunther and sold at the 2013 Keeneland September Yearling Sales for $260,000. The colt was pinhooked to the 2014 Fasig Tipton May Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale in Maryland. Materiality brought $400,000 from Alto Racing, LLC, after breezing a furlong in :10 2/5.  With his victory in the Florida Derby, Materiality owns a perfect 3-3-0-0 ($656,028) race record and has 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

SIRE:

With better racing luck, Afleet Alex might have been the first Breeders’ Cup Juvenile/Triple Crown winner. The son of Northern Afleet finished second in the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile behind Wilko after a tough, wide trip. A year later in the Kentucky Derby, Afleet Alex was wide around both turns before shifting to the inside where he just missed by a length. The 2005 Preakness showcased Afleet Alex’s athleticism when the colt was brought to his knees after clipping the heels of Scrappy T in deep stretch after that colt ducked from the whip. Despite the mishap, Afleet Alex gathered himself and powered to a 4 ½ length victory. 

Afleet Alex had his greatest accomplishment in what would be the final start of his career, the Belmont Stakes. The bay demolished a field of ten rivals, including Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, by seven lengths. Was the rest of the field that bad or was Afleet Alex that good?  The colt’s final quarter of  :24.50 was the fastest since 1969’s hero Arts and Letters. Secretariat got his last quarter in :25 flat. His exploits earned Afleet Alex Three Year Old Championship honors.

After a thwarted attempt at a return to racing for the 2005 Breeders’ Cup and injury, Afleet Alex   retired to stud at Gainsway Farm to stand his first season at stud for $40K. His fee was dropped last year from $15,000 to the current $12,500.    

AFLEET ALEX (Northern Afleet - Maggy Hawk, by Hawkster)

2005 Champion 3 Year Old Colt

Race record: 12-8-2-1 ($2,765,800)

Racing highlights:

1^st  - Sanford Stakes (G-2)

1^st – Hopeful Stakes (G-1)

1^st – Arkansas Derby (G-2)

1^st – Preakness Stakes (G-1)

1^st – Belmont Stakes (G-1)

2^nd – BC  Juvenile Colts (G-1)

3^rd – Kentucky Derby (G-1)

Afleet Alex’s offspring aren’t noted as win-early types. He has 13% lifetime two year old winners, which is average.  His babies are slower developing types and although the occasional sprinter will crop up, shorter distances really aren’t their forte. Afleet Alex’s babies are most competitive at seven furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, and four of his offspring have won stakes races at classic distances, including Travers hero Afleet Express. Afleet Alex’s progeny are at home on dirt, mud and to a lesser extent, turf and various synthetics.  Afleet Alex is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. His son Texas Red won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last year and looked like an excellent prospect for this year’s Kentucky Derby trail before he was injured. 

Female family:

The well-bred Materiality is a half brother to My Miss Sophia (Unbridled’s Song), who galloped to a 7 ¼ length victory in the 1 1/8 mile Gazelle (G-2) last year.  She also finished second in the Kentucky Oaks to Untapable.  Materiality is the sixth foal out of Wildwood Flower.

Wildwood Flower began her career with a four length triumph over maidens going six furlongs at Bay Meadows in 1:10.  She followed up with an allowance win and a five length score in the six furlong Piedmont Stakes at Golden Gate.  In her three year old debut, Wildwood Flower finished third, beaten four lengths in the Santa Ysabel Stakes (G-3). She ambitiously took on the boys in the El Camino Real Derby (G-3) and pressed the pace, tiring half way through to finish fifth.  In the final race of her career, Wildwood Flower finished a distant third in the Beaumont Stakes (G-2) behind Victory U.S.A.  The filly retired with a respectable 6-3-0-2 ($109,916) race record.

Wildwood Flower (Langfuhr - Dial a Trick, by Phone Trick) is a half sister to the Eye of the Tiger (American Chance), a graded stakes winner at 1 1/16 miles and 1 3/16 miles.  Her stakes placed half sister Expanse (Distant View) bore Travers winner Afleet Express (Afleet Alex) and Reporting for Duty (Deputy Commander), a stakes winner at 1 1/8 miles who also placed in the Ohio and Illinois Derbies plus the New Orleans Handicap (G-2).

Materiality’s unraced second dam Dial a Trick (phone Trick).  There are two ties to Maryland’s feature races in Materiality’s female family.  Dial a Trick is a half sister to Ice Beauty, the dam of SWEETNORTHERNSAINT who finished second in the 2006 Preakness to Bernardini. Dial a Trick’s other half sister Fliet is the granddam of FIFTYSHADESOFHAY, winner of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes.

Damsire:

LANGFUHR (Danzig - Sweet Briar Too, by Briartic) is a 23 year old stallion. Way back when during his prime, Langfuhr was a sprinter/miler to be reckoned with. As a four and five year old, he scored victories in the prestigious Vosburgh Stakes, Forego, Carter and Metropolitan Handicaps.  A sixth place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint denied Langfuhr of and Eclipse Award, but he earned Canada’s Sovereign Award as Champion Sprinter. 

So, a Champion Sprinter is expected to get sprinter milers, right?  Not in this case. Langfuhr, always an under-rated, breed to sell type of stallion, has sired Five Champions, including two Canadian Triple Crown winners (Mobile, Wando), and Champion Older Horse (Lawyer Ron). In all, he has a strong 6% stakes winners.

As a broodmare sire, Langfuhr is just as sturdy. His daughters have produced 34 stakes winners, including Proud Spell, 2008 Champion 3 Year Old Filly.  The offspring of Langfuhr’s daughters vary from precocious sprinters to long winded runners. 

Outlook:

Materiality is a beautifully proportioned colt with a well-angled shoulder and almost smooth topline (neck to rump). He has a short back and powerful hindquarters. He has the body of a route horse.  Materiality drifted in the Florida Derby, but otherwise, doesn’t paddle. He does have a slightly high knee action.  Materiality has the pedigree to be a competitor at 1 ¼ miles, however, his forwardly placed running style and lack of experience and a two year old foundation play against him.

Every year, we see lightly raced, talented colts enter the Triple Crown trail, only to wind up on the sidelines for doing too much too soon, or worse, have to retire because of injuries.  Very few escapee this grind. Going back to 1944, eleven colts who didn’t race as two year olds finished fourth or better in the Kentucky Derby.  Since 2000, three of thirteen colts who started their careers at three finished fourth or better in the Derby. Only one, Curlin, continued on to a full racing career.  Bodemeister was a narrow second place in the Preakness, but was retired thereafter. In 2003 Atswhatimtalkinbout was fourth in the Kentucky Derby and never ran again.  

Todd Pletcher has a poor record when it comes to the Kentucky Derby. Pair this with a promising young colt making only his fourth career start and we’ll be fortunate to see Materiality race again this year. Hopefully, he’ll come out of the race sound and will be able to fulfill his potential on the track.

Conformation photo courtesy of Sandra Madison.