Kentucky Derby 2015 - Ocho Ocho Ocho Pedigree Profile

 

Ocho Ocho Ocho took his first steps towards the 2015 Kentucky Derby on Saturday with a gutsy victory over Mr. Z in the Delta Downs Jackpot (G3). Extending his record to 3-3-0-0 ($693,600), the James Cassidy trainee showed heart, battling down the stretch with the more experienced Mr. Z. Mike Smith gave the dark bay colt a crafty ground-saving trip from the rail, despite drawing a wide post. The final time for the 1 1/16 mile contest was 1:45.47 over a fast track, about a second off of the stakes record of 1:44.71 set last year by Rise Up.

 

 

 

 

 

OCHO OCHO OCHO  (Street Sense - Winner, by Horse Chestnut (SAF)) was a $200K OBS April two-year-old in training purchase as hip number 888.  Bred by Siena Farms LLC and purchased by DP Racing, LLC, the dark bay colt earned his name from his hip number in the sale, 888, as ocho is the Spanish word for eight.

 

 

Ocho Ocho Ocho’s sire Street Sense competed against the likes of Curlin, Hard Spun and Any Given Saturday. The four colts were undoubtedly the best of their generation on the track. Despite not being at his best over Polytrack, Street Sense won his maiden over the surface and finished third in the Arlington-Washington and Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurities. Finally, unleashed on the dirt in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Street Sense made a mockery of the full field, flying to a ten length victory. 

 

 

The following year, old-time trainer Carl Nafzger mocked tradition by not starting the two-year-old champ until March and giving him only two Kentucky Derby preps. The tactic paid off, as Street Sense rallied to victory 2 ¼-lengths ahead of Hard Spun with Curlin back in third. After losing the Preakness by a hard-fought head to Curlin, Street Sense continued on to win the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes over fairly weak fields. Making the eighth start of his three year old season and final career start in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Street Sense could manage no better than a distant fourth to Curlin over a sloppy track. The son of Street Cry retired to stud in 2008 with a 13-6-4-2 ($4,383,200) race record.

 

 

STREET SENSE (Street Cry (IRE) - Bedazzle, by Dixieland Band)

Race record: 13-6-4-2 ($4,383,200)

20007 Champion Juvenile Male

 

Racing highlights:

1^st – Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G-1) 1 1/16 miles

1^st – Kentucky Derby (G-1) 1 ¼ miles

1^st – Travers Stakes (G-1) 1 ¼ miles

1^st – Jim Dandy Stakes (G-2) 1 1/8 miles

1^st – Tampa Bay Derby (G-3) 1 1/16 miles

2^nd – Preakess Stakes (G-1) 1 3/16 miles

2^nd – Blue Grass Stakes (G-1) 1 1/8 miles (Poly)

2^nd – Kentucky Cup Classic (G-2) 1 1/8 miles (Poly)

 

 

Street Sense is currently his sire’s most accomplished son at stud in the U.S. A young stallion, Street Sense went to stud at the same time as his racetrack competitors, Hard Spun and Any Given Saturday.  Street Sense isn’t a precocious sire, his babies mature as strong three year olds and they prefer some distance. He has four foal crops of racing age.  Street Sense was in the top ten as a first crop sire by earnings.  He was ranked third best as a second crop sire, and was last year’s leading third crop sire.  The 2008 class of stallions is particularly strong and includes the aforementioned Hard Spun, Any Given Saturday, plus Scat Daddy, English Channel and Discreet Cat.

 

 

Street Sense’s two year olds win at 12% but blossom at ages three and up, winning over all surfaces, although they perform best over dirt and turf.  Street Sense’s dirt runners have won up to 1 3/16 miles however, few have raced at 1 ¼ miles. His son Prince Alzain won a 1 ¼ mile stakes race over the Polytrack at Lingfield in England, so Street Sense does have the capability to get classic distance winners. Street Sense’s top runners include Test Stakes heroine Sweet Reason and Cigar Street, winner of the 1 3/16 mile Skip Away Stakes (G-3) at Gulfstream.  

 

 

Ocho Ocho Ocho has one of the classiest female families around, carefully cultivated by the Phipps family and Claiborne farm. His third dam Personal Ensign was undefeated in all 13 starts. Her racing career cumulated in one of the strongest fields ever assembled in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Her heart stopping victory over Kentucky Derby champ Winning Colors is one of the best Breeders’ Cup races of all time.

 

 

Personal Ensign has passed her class and genes to succeeding generations.  The daughter of Private Account transferred her excellence to the breeding shed, where almost every foal became a stakes winner or bore stakes winners. Her offspring include the multiple Grade 1 winner and blue hen My Flag, dam of Champion Storm Flag Flying. Both won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The sires Miners Mark, Traditionally, and Our Emblem (sire of Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem), plus the dams of Mr. Speaker and Parading were also produced by Personal Ensign. 

Personal Ensign's daughter Pennant Champion, Ocho Ocho Ocho‘s second dam, is a full sister to Miner’s Mark, Our Emblem, Traditionally and the stakes placed Proud and True. Pennant Champion’s branch of Personal Ensign’s descendants isn’t spectacular, but has proven useful.  Pennant Champion’s only stakes winning offspring is Bourbon Stakes (G-3) hero Animal Spirits; However, her daughters have foaled stakes winners, including multiple graded stakes hero Interactif, and his blacktype earning half sisters Stretching and Wingspan. Another of Pennant Champion’s daughters bore American Derby hero Devine Oath.

 

 

That brings us to Ocho Ocho Ocho‘s dam WINNER (Horse Chestnut (SAF) - Pennant Champion, by Mr. Prospector).  She raced only three times, hitting the board in all starts. She took her time getting to the races, but won her debut in June of her three year old season.  She then placed in two allowance contests.  The filly had speed, as she won her debut by 7 ¾ lengths, getting six furlongs in 1:09.86 over a fast Belmont Track.

 

 

 

Winner is the dam of five foals of racing age. Four raced and three are winners, including Ocho Ocho Ocho’s half sister Private Ensign (A.P. Indy) who was third in the Davona Dale Stakes (G-3).  Winner has an unnamed yearling and weanling, both by Lemon Drop Kid.

Ocho Ocho Ocho‘s damsire HORSE CHESTNUT (Fort Wood - London Wall (SAF), by Col Pickering (SAF)) was the 1999 South African Triple Crown winner, Champion Three Year Old and Horse of the Year.  He was brought to the U.S. amidst great expectations.  In what would be his first and final start in this country, Horse Chestnut made short work of the field in the Broward Handicap (G-3) at Gulfstream Park, drawing off to a 5 ½ length victory in the 1 1/6 mile dirt race.  Sadly, the magnificent Chestnut suffered a career-ending injury and retired to stud at Claiborne Farm.

 

 

 

 

 

Horse Chestnut is transferring his genes as a broodmare sire.  He had a limited number of offspring in the U.S., yet his daughter’s babies are staring to win stakes. They’ve foaled nine winners of a combined twenty-three stakes races.  The most proficient are Grade 1 winner Suggestive Boy (by Easing Along), plus graded stakes winners Pisco Sour  (by Lemon Drop Kid) and his full brother Cannock Chase. All three have won at 1 ¼ miles.

 

 

The Street Sense/Horse Chestnut cross is small, but potent. This cross has produced only three foals, two winners, one a graded stakes winner.

 

 

So what should we expect from Ocho Ocho Ocho? His pedigree indicates that the 1 ¼ mile Kentucky Derby is within his scope. He’s undefeated in his short career and bested a more experienced colt in a strong stretch duel, although to be fair, Ocho Ocho Ocho took the short way around the track. 

 

 

Ocho Ocho Ocho appears to be dwarfed by the larger and more powerful Mr. Z, however, Ocho Ocho Ocho is an averaged sized colt.  He’s lean and leggy, yet well balanced, with a nicely sloped hip and well-developed hind quarters.  There’s plenty of potential for him to add muscle and develop as a three year old.  Ocho Ocho Ocho has a smooth stride with average extension. He’s a quick mover, yet still a little green, as he drifted slightly in the stretch of the Jackpot.  That will be corrected with experience.

 

 

The quality of the Delta Jackpot in previous years hasn’t carried through to the following year’s Kentucky Derby preps.  Only one horse that has finished in the top three in the Jackpot has made an impact on the Kentucky Derby, 2005 Kentucky Derby runner-up Closing Argument.  Further, in the eleven years that the Delta Downs Jackpothas been contested, only two winners, Big Drama and Goldencents, have continued on to win Grade 1 stakes.   

 

 

Ocho Ocho Ocho has a quality pedigree and has shown that he can win from on or off of the pace. Other than needing to prove himself against Grade 1 competition, I can’t find a whole lot not to like about this colt. Here’s hoping he stays healthy and can buck the trend of previous Jackpot winners.