Kentucky Derby pedigree: Bullard is an intriguing prospect

Although he has yet to earn points for the 2025 Kentucky Derby, Bullard could become an intriguing prospect next year.

In the Grade 3 Bob Hope for 2-year-olds on Nov. 17, recent graduate Bullard was sent off as the even-money favorite despite the presence of multiple Grade 1-placed McKinzie Street.

Although he was outrun through sizzling early fractions, Bullard circled the field four wide and breezed under the wire 4 3/4 lengths in front, completing seven furlongs in 1:22.55. 

Conditioned by Mike McCarthy, Bullard graduated at first asking Sept. 1 with a last-to-first victory, besting six rivals over Del Mar's main oval, completing six furlongs in 1:10.32 with a 12.69 final furlong.  

Bred by Three Chimneys Farm, Bullard went through the Keeneland September Yearling Sale ring and sold for $675,000 to the partnership of St. Elias Stable, Talla Racing, Three Chimneys Farm and West Point Thoroughbreds. Undefeated in two starts, Bullard has earned $105,000.

Sire

Bullard is a son of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner (Candy Ride - Quiet Giant, by Giant's Causeway). The stallion has been phenomenal in his few years at stud, siring 34 stakes winners in only four crops of racing age. The leading first-, second- and third-crop sire is currently second on the national sire list by earnings, in part because of Breeders' Cup Classic champ Sierra Leone.

Like a fine wine, Gun Runner's offspring mature from quirky 2-year-olds into professional older horses who compete at the highest levels, from sprints to classic distances.

Female family

Bullard's female family is anchored by his third and fourth dams, Blush With Pride and Best in Show. He hails from the same family as Belmont Stakes winners Arcangelo, Rags to Riches and Jazil.

Bullard's fourth dam Best in Show (Traffic Judge) bore 17 foals, eight leaving their mark from Europe to Australia. Her son Malionwski was 1975's Irish champion 2-year-old male.

But Best In Show's daughters shined as broodmares, producing many champions. Her best-known daughter in the U.S. is Kentucky Oaks heroine Blush With Pride (Blushing Groom).

Blush With Pride's Grade 1-winning daughter Better Than Honor (Deputy Minister) gave us the back-to-back Belmont Stakes winners Jazil (Seeking the Gold) and Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy), plus Breeders' Cup Marathon winner Man of Iron (Giant's Causeway). Better Than Honor is the second dam of 2023 champion 3-year-old colt Arcangelo.

Better Than Honor's daughter, French Group 2 winning turf miler Smolensk (Danzig), is Bullard's second dam. Not as celebrated as her half-sister Better Than Honor, Smolensk still passed class to her offspring. Her son Can the Man (Into Mischief) is a multiple stakes winner, including the Affirmed (G3), and he placed in the Del Mar Futurity (G1).

Smolensk’s daughter Martha’s Moon (Malibu Moon) is a multiple stakes winning sprinter/miler and daughter Rapid Transaction (A. P. Indy) bore a French stakes winner. Smolensk’s most accomplished producer is Bullard’s dam, Reve d'Amour.

Bullard is the fifth foal and second blacktype earner out of the unraced Reve d'Amour. His half-sister Mundaye Call (Into Mischief) is a multiple stakes-winning sprinter, and she set a new track record of 1:21.17 for 7-furlongs at Ellis Park in 2020 in the Audubon Oaks, geared down while besting ten rivals by 7 1/4 lengths.

Mundaye Call's full 4-year-old brother Cascais is an allowance winner in training at Payson Park. We may see him in a stakes race in the future. 

Warrior's Reward (Medaglia d'Oro - For All You Do, by Seeking the Gold) made 17 starts in two years as a sprinter/miler. He captured the seven-furlong Carter Handicap (G1) and placed at 1 1/16 miles in multiple Grade 2 and Grade 3 contests.

Warrior's Reward is the damsire of 14 stakes winners, lead by Test (G1) heroine Ways and Means, Champagne (G1) winner Blazing Sevens and Grade 1-winning turf miler Surge Capacity. Despite his distance-oriented pedigree, none of Warrior's Reward's daughters have produced a stakes winner beyond 1 1/16 miles.  

Kentucky Derby contender or pretender?

No winner of the Bob Hope (G3), previously known as the Hollywood Prevue Stakes, has won the Kentucky Derby. Lion Heart came closest in 2024, finishing 2 3/4 lengths behind Smarty Jones.

Bullard has a smooth gait without excessive knee action or paddling. He was slow to switch leads in the stretch and drifted in reaction to jockey Umberto Rispoli's encouragement. But once Bullard was clear, he kept a straight path.

Bullard is a well-proportioned, not overly muscular bay whose conformation suggests sprints to 1 1/8 miles might be his best range. But talent, conditioning and his closing running style could take him further.   

Bullard shows promise and could have a say in some of next year's Kentucky Derby qualifying races.