Kentucky Derby 2015 - Texas Red Pedigree Profile

 

Texas Red etched his name in the annals of BC history with his runaway 6 ½ length victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The leggy bay colt broke an eye blink slow and took his time during the early stages, galloping four lengths behind the field. Guided by Kent Desormeaux, Texas Red kicked it into gear by the quarter-mile pole. In a display of fearless athleticism, he dove between horses going around the far turn, and then switched to the far outside without losing a stride. He shifted five wide and hit the front by the eighth-pole. While the rest of the field was whipping and driving, Texas Red lengthened his stride and sailed down the stretch a 6 ½ length winner. Carpe Diem finished second, beating out Upstart by a nose.

 

 

The final time of 1:41.91 for the 1 1/16 miles easily eclipsed the results of the last two Breeders’ Cup contests which were held at Santa Anita. In 2012 Shanghai Bobby traveled the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.58 and last year, New Year’s Day flashed under the wire in 1:43.52.  Texas Red’s final time was just a tick off of the dirt stakes record of 1:41.47 set by Favorite Trick in 1997. The actual Juvenile Stakes record of 1:40.94 was set over Pro-Ride by Midshipman in 2008.

 

 

 

 

With better racing luck, Texas Red’s sire 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 and currently stands for $15K. 

 

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

2005 Champion 3 Year Old Colt

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

 

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 new sire, Travers hero Afleet Express. Afleet Alex’s progeny are at home on dirt, mud and to a lesser extent, turf and various synthetics.  

 

 

Texas Red’s dam, the Chilean-bred RAMATUELLE (Jeune Homme - Villa Torlonia (CHI), by Roy) didn’t get to the races until she was a three year old.  She won her first three starts in her native land before shipping to California, where she trained under the guidance of John Sadler.  The mare conquered allowance class runners in a sprint and mile contest over dirt. Her next three starts were in stakes company, where she acquitted herself with a third place finish in the Desert Stormer Handicap (G-3) at Hollywood Park.  Ramatuelle retired at age five with an 8-5-0-1 ($94,226) record. 

 

 

Owned by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, Ramatuelle bore four foals, all colts before Texas Red.  All four are winners and have hit the board at least twice. She has an unnamed Temple City filly yearling.

 

 

Ramatuelle has line-breeding to the good Argentinian mare Veneta, though the full sisters Trevisa, dam of Champion Three Year Old Forli and La Dogana, who is Ramatuelle’s fifth dam. Forli (Aristophanes -  Trevisa, by Advocate) is a full brother in blood (a horse by the same sire and out of a full sister) to Ramatuelle’s fourth dam Sixtina (Aristophanes - La Dogana, by Advocate).   

 

 

Forli is the damsire of Champion Three Year Old Nureyev.  One of the greatest sires of all time, Nureyev is the damsire of Northern Afleet, Texas Red’s second tail sire (grandpa on dad’s side) and Nureyev is also the sire of Jeune Homme, Texas Red’s damsire. 

 

 

JEUNE HOMME (Nureyev - Alydariel, by Alydar) was a $2.6 million dollar yearling. His sire is considered one of the greatest stallions in the world with an astounding 18% stakes winners. Jeunne Homme’s dam is a stakes winning half-sister to Royal Academy and to the blue hen Terlingua, dam of Storm Cat.

 

 

Jeune Homme spent his racing career bouncing between France and California.  Victorious between a mile and 1 ¼ miles over the lawn, the son of Nureyev captured the Citation Stakes (G-2) over the Grade 1 winner Paradise Creek. Jeune Homme placed in the Hollywood Derby (G-1) as well as three Group 3 stakes in France. The year after capturing the Citation, Jeune Homme returned to finish third in that race.  Jeune Homme retired with a 20-4-5-3 ($431,724) race record. 

 

 

Jeune Homme began his stud career in France, jetted to Chile, where he earned leading sire honors in 2004, and is now standing in South Africa.  Jeune Homme’s offspring aren’t commonly found in the United States. Only two of his daughter’s offspring are stakes winners in the U.S. besides Texas Red - the 2006 Eclipse Award nominee turf mare Gorella, heroine of multiple graded stakes races, including the Beverly D (G-1), and graded stakes placed Porto Santo, runner-up in the Mervyn Leroy and La Jolla Stakes. Jeune Homme is bred along the same lines as the stallion Peintre Celebre, sire of three European Champions, as both are by Nureyev out of Alydar mares.

 

 

The bloodline cross of Afleet Alex/Nureyev has produced six foals, all starters, five winners and no blacktype runners.

 

 

Texas Red is a large, long-bodied horse with the scope of a middle distance to classic runner.  In the paddock at the Breeders’ Cup, he appeared calm and relaxed, almost lazy, holding his head low and moving quietly around the crowded, noisy ring with easy grace.  In stark contrast to many of the mincing, parading colts, it was easy to overlook the low-key bay colt.  Texas Red has an intelligent  "look of eagles" eye. While rounding the Santa Anita paddock, he casually eyed the crowd with a curious look, possibly wondering if anyone had treats. However, once Kent Desormeaux leapt into the saddle, Texas Red got his game on. His head came up and he posed alertly, ears at attention and ready to go.

 

 

On the track, Texas Red has a long, fluid stride with good extension and no wasted motion.  Since Street Sense pulled off the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile/Kentucky Derby, the majority of the Juvenile winners have had the pedigrees and conformation of miler-type runners.  Not Texas Red.  He starts to wind up at 1 1/6 miles and should relish classic distances. A lot can happen between now and the Kentucky Derby. Here’s hoping Texas Red stays sound and develops as a three year old, for his pedigree, conformation and demeanor all indicate that he’s a legitimate Derby contender.