Kentucky Derby 2015 - Upstart Pedigree Profile

 

The latest edition of the Holy Bull Stakes (G-2) at Gulfsteam Park showcased the brilliance of UPSTART. In an easy textbook ride by Jose Ortiz, Upstart sat three wide the entire way, just a length off of the pacesetter Bluegrass Singer, with First Down sandwiched between the two. Bluegrass Singer posted moderate fractions of 24:52, :48.82, 1:12.47 and 1:37 for the mile. As they rounded the eighth pole, Ortiz shook up Upstart. The ridgling lengthened stride, easily put away Bluegrass Singer and sailed under the finish line 5 ½ lengths in front.  Frosted, who had been stuck on the inside behind the leaders for the entire race, found some running room and finished second, 2 ¼ lengths in front of a tiring Bluegrass Singer. Upset stopped the timer in 1:43.61 for the 1 1/6 mile race. The stakes record of 1.41.81 over the most recent configuration of the track (2005) was set by Itsmyluckyday in 2013.

 

 

 

 

Bred by Mrs. Gerald A. Nielsen in New York, UPSTART (Flatter - Party Silks, by Touch Gold) was a $130,000 Fasig Tipton August 2013 yearling purchase by Ralph M. Evans.  Under the tutelage of Rick Violette, Jr., Upstart galloped to a 5 ½ length victory in his debut last August 15 at Saratoga. After capturing the state-bred Funny Cide Stakes just nine days later, Upstart finished second by 2 ½ lengths to Daredevil in the Champagne Stakes after going five wide. Upstart had a tough time of it in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Off slow, he was forced wide, bumped around, checked, and still managed to finish third, nosed out for second place by the fast moving Carpe Diem. With his victory in the Holy Bull, Upstart has earned $701,880 in a 5-3-1-1 career. He has 16 Kentucky Derby points, two more than the previous Derby Points leader Carpe Diem.

 

 

The Claiborne Farm/Adele Dilschneider-bred Flatter, a full brother to the Grade 2 winner and sire Congrats, is a son of Seattle Slew’s best son at stud A.P. Indy, out of Praise (Mr. Prospector). The mare raced seven times, recording two victories and two second place finishes at the maiden and allowance level. Praise is a ¾ sister to multiple graded stakes winner and sire Roar (Forty Niner), plus a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner Yell (A.P. Indy) and Grade One hero and sire Eastern Echo (Damascus). Flatter’s second dam Wild Applause won the Diana (G-2) and Comely (G-3) and his third dam is the blue hen, Glowing Tribute, better known as the dam of 1993 Kentucky Derby champ Sea Hero.

 

 

With his illustrious breeding, Flatter carried high expectations. However, the large-bodied late-developer didn’t make it to the track until June of his three year old season. Flatter recorded three wins in four starts at three, then was off for eight months due to injury.  The bay horse raced twice at four, earning an allowance victory and placing third in the 1 3/16 mile Washington Park Handicap (G-2) on the Arlington Park dirt. 

 

 

Retiring to the breeding shed at Claiborne, Flatter’s first crop hit the track in 2007, the same time as Harlan’s Holiday, Empire Maker and Mineshaft.  At the time, Flatter stood for $5,000 and the exploits of his first crop landed him at #16 on the Freshman Sire List. Flatter remained steadily in the top twenty for the next four years, and his fee has climbed to $20,000. 

 

 

Flatter doesn’t appeal to the commercial market, as his offspring usually aren’t flashy youngsters, yet he manages an average 16% two year old winners. Flatter’s offspring tend to mature into sound runners with longevity. It isn’t surprising to see his sons and daughters competing at the graded stakes level as five, six and seven year olds. His most accomplished runner, Flat Out, competed for six years, retiring after a victory in the 2013 Cigar Mile (G-1). The distance scope of Flatter’s offspring is sprints through middle distances. He gets winners over turf and synthetics, although dirt is the primary surface for most. Two of his offspring, the aforementioned Flat Out and stakes winner Silver Tongue, have won at 1 ¼ miles.

 

 

FLATTER (A.P. Indy - Praise, by Mr. Prospector)

Race record: 6-4-0-1 ($148,815)

 

3^rd - Washington Park Handicap (G- 2) 1 3/16 miles

 

 

 

There is little blacktype in the first two generations of Upstart’s distaff line.  His dam Party Silks (Touch Gold - Intend to Win, by Housebuster) is an unraced half sister to Josh’s Madelyn (Quiet American), a veteran of 27 starts and earnings of almost $500,000.  The sprinter/miler won the Raven Run Stakes (G-2) and placed behind Dubai Escapade in the Vinery Madison Stakes (G-2) at Keeneland and Pool Land in the Allaire du Pont Breeders' Cup Distaff Stakes (G-3) at Pimlico. Both times, new stakes records were set.

 

 

Upstart’s second dam Intend to Win (Housebuster - Intently, by Drone) was third in the seven furlong T. V. Vixen Stakes at Arlington.  His third dam Intently (Drone – Naughty Intentions, by Candy Spots) placed in a handful of sprints. The most accomplished runner in three generations is the Japanese sire Nobo Jack (French Deputy) a Group 1 sprinter.

 

 

Upstart’s distaff line is refreshingly free of Mr. Prospector and Seattle Slew bloodlines. He has linebreeding (4 generations or farther) to Northern Dancer through a son and blue hen daughter, and the same type of sex-balanced cross to Tom Fool, through his Champion son Buckpasser and good daughter Caps and Bells, better known as the grand-dam of El Prado, albeit through a different branch.  The breeding to Flatter, a grand-son of Seattle Slew out of a Mr. Prospector mare, adds additional strains of Northern Dancer and Buckpasser.

 

 

 

 

 

Upstart’s first four distaff sires have ties to the Triple Crown. Touch Gold is noted as the horse to spoil Silver Charm’s bid for the Triple Crown.  After skipping the Kentucky Derby, Touch Gold was fourth in the Preakness. He rallied late to win the Belmont Stakes by ¾ a length over Silver Charm. Plagued by a sore hoof, Touch Gold managed to beat four other out-classed runners in the Haskell Invitational. An allowance victory the following year was the last time Touch Gold visited the winner’s circle.

 

 

By a top sire out of a daughter of a legendary broodmare sire, Touch Gold is a solid broodmare sire of 26 stakes winners. His daughters’ offspring include Grade 1 turf router Emollient and Grade 2 sprinter Javerre.  Most of the stakes winning progeny are winners up to 1 1/16 miles, although two have recorded victories at classic distances.

  

 

TOUCH GOLD (Deputy Minister - Passing Mood, by Buckpasser)

Race record: 15-6-3-1 ($1,679,907)

 

1^st - Belmont Stakes (G-1) 1 ½ miles

1^st - Haskell Invitational (G-1) 1 1/8 miles

1^st Lexington Stakes (G-2) 1 1/16 miles

 

 

 

Upstart’s second damsire is three-time Champion Sprinter Housebuster (Mt. Livermore). The swift stallion lends speed to Upstart’s pedigree. Housebuster beat eventual Preakness victor Summer Squall in the Swale Stakes and out-finished Belmont Stakes winner Easy Goer in the 1990 Met Mile.

 

 

Upstart’s third damsire Drone is the damsire of Kentucky Derby heroes Charismatic and Grindstone. His fourth damsire Candy Spots was second in the 1963 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes to Chateaugay, but spoiled that one’s Triple Crown bid by winning the Preakness.

 

 

Flatter has three offspring out of Touch Gold mares.  All three are winners and Upstart is the only stakes winner.  They have combined earnings of almost $1 Million Dollars. This is a tried and true bloodline cross. 

 

 

 

Upstart is a tall, leggy colt who will put on muscle as he matures. Both his sire and damsire are large, muscular horses with deep, well-slanted shoulders balanced by powerful hindquarters and have the conformation of route horses.  Upstart favors this build as well.   Upstart has high, choppy leg action, and moderate leg extension, creating a rocking horse gait when he runs. Upstart bore out noticeably down the stretch of the Holy Bull and he paddles slightly with his left foreleg. 

 

 

Upstart’s pedigree is a stamina oriented with that necessary touch of speed.  Both his sire and damsire have thrown winners at 1 ¼ miles or farther and he carries the bloodlines of two Belmont Stakes heroes, two Triple Crown legends, plus Champions Northern Dancer, Buckpasser, Blushing Groom and Ribot, to name a few.

 

 

I’m not a fan of the colt’s gait, which expends excess energy and could make him vulnerable at longer distances, yet, he has proven himself over a variety of tracks and battle tested.  Since 2000, only two colts who have hit the board in the Holy Bull did the same in the Kentucky Derby.  Barbaro in 2006 and Closing Argument (2^nd) in 2005.  A lot will happen between now and Kentucky Derby Day, however, Upstart is a name to keep on your Derby watch list.