The Run for the Roses

Commissioned opener graphic — add by hand

Over the last decade and Kentucky Derby has undergo Since the advent of the Kent where points are earned in sprinters with no real preten find their place in The qualifying system began in 2012, and with no pure speedsters winging away on the front, every year from 2014 to 2021 saw the first-past- the-post in the Derby being a horse who was in the first three throughout. In the last of those years, the Bob Baffert- trained Medina Spirit was first home, but was subsequently disqualified for a positive prohibited medication, earning Baffert a ban from Churchill Downs and associated tracks that lasted for three years.

That turned out to be a watershed moment for the Derby front-runners, and since then four of the last five Derby winners have come from way off the pace. In fact, had it not been for Sierra Leone and Forever Young impeding each other through the stretch in 2024, allowing the stalker, Mystik Dan, to gain the day, it would have been five from from five. The 2026 winner, Golden Tempo raced in last of eighteen positions for the first 1200m, and at one point was nearly 18 lengths adrift.

Still eleventh turning for home, Golden Tempo spun out into the ten path before unleashing a rally that saw him get up in time to score by a neck over Renegade (who was bidding to credit his sire, Into Mischief, with a record-breaking fourth Kentucky Derby winner), with the maiden Ocelli, another to come from the rear of the field, just a neck back in third. Pic - Curlin (Smart Strike-Sherriff’s Deputy by Deputy Minister) is the sire of 26 Gr1 winners including 2026 Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo.

The Derby was the third win in five starts for Golden Tempo, who captured a maiden event and the Lecomte Stakes (Gr3) in his first two starts. On his other two outings, he was a staying on third in the Risen Star Stakes (Gr2) and Louisiana Derby (Gr2) Golden Tempo is a son of the veteran sire, Curlin (by the Mr. Prospector horse, Smart Strike). Placed in all the three legs of the Triple Crown, winning the Preakness Stakes (Gr1), Curlin was Horse of the Year at both three and half, the character of the ne some interesting changes. cky Derby qualifying system, races at a mile and up, true sion to lasting 2000m rarely he starting gates.

four. He’s subsequently developed into one of the leading classic influences of his era, with Preakness Stakes winners Exaggerator (2016) and Journalism (2025) and a Belmont Stakes (Gr1) scorer, Palace Malice (2013), with four other sons - Good Magic, Tenfold, Keen Ice and Irish War Cry - and one daughter - Nest - earning places in Triple Crown events. He is also paternal grandsire of Kentucky Derby winners Mage (2023, by Good Magic) and Rich Strike (2022, by Keen Ice), and of Belmont Stakes captor Dornoch (2024, by Good Magic).

In addition to Curlin’s qualifications as a classic sire, the distaff side of Golden Tempo’s pedigree also suggested that classic distances would be no problem for him. His dam, Carrumba, is by Bernardini, a Champion Three Year-Old whose successes included the Preakness Stakes, Travers Stakes (Gr1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (Gr1). Carrumba herself captured the Top Flight Handicap (Gr3) over nine furlongs, and her seven black-type places include seconds in the Ruffian Stakes (Gr2), Comely Stakes (Gr3), Shuvee Handicap (Gr3) and Allaire Dupont Distaff Stakes (Gr3), and a third in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (Gr1).

Carrumba’s dam, Castanet, is an El Prado half-sister to Dancing Forever, successful in the Manhattan Handicap (Gr1) at ten furlongs and the twelve furlong Elkhorn Stakes (Gr2). Dancinginmydreams, the granddam of Carrumba, started only three times, winning a maiden special weight at Saratoga, missing by a neck in the Matron Stakes (Gr1) and then breaking down in the Frizette Stakes (Gr1). By Seeking the Gold out of the Nijinsky II mare, Oh What a Dance, Dancinginmydreams is a sister to Champion Three Year-Old Filly Heavenly Prize and Matron Stakes (Gr1) victress, Oh What a Windfall.

Heavenly Prize subsequently proved a very successful foundation mare, and she appears as dam of grade one winner Good Reward; graded winner and good sire, Pure Prize; and stakes winner Cosmic; and her  Curlin (Smart Strike-Sherriff’s Deputy by De including 2026 Kentucky Derby winner Golde descendants include grade one scorers Instilled Regard, Persistently and her son W Heart Bond, and Queen Goddess. By Nijinsky II out of the Phipps foundation mare, Blitey (herself a daughter of Champion Lady Pitt), Oh What a Dance is a sister to Dancing Spree, winner of three grade one events, including the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Gr1) and Dancing All Night, who captured the Long Island Handicap (Gr1).

Overall, Blitey is ancestress of more than 60 stakes winners, no less than 20 group or grade one, headed by unbeaten Horse of the Year Flightline Golden Tempo is the latest notable performer for the remarkably successful cross of Curlin over mares by Bernardini which has produced 11 stakes winners from 42 starters (26%) stakes winners to starters, including grade one winners Clairiere and Paris Lights. The Curlin/ Bernardini cross is a version of broader pattern of Curlin crossed over mares by A.P.

Indy and his sons and grandsons, which is responsible for a total of 29 stakes winners, eight grade one. It’s also interesting to note that Curlin is by a son of Mr. Prospector out of a mare who is a Northern Dancer/Sir Ivor cross, while Castanet, the granddam of Golden Tempo is by a stallion bred on a Northern Dancer/Sir Ivor cross out of a mare by a son of Mr. Prospector.

Preakness Stakes

The second classic, the Preakness Stakes, run just two weeks after the Derby, ty Minister) is the sire of 26 Gr1 winners Tempo.

at a distance 100m shorter than the Derby, and with less likelihood of a pace meltdown, is not a race which best suits these off-pace closing Derby winners, and Golden Tempo’s connections wisely decided to sidestep the event, as did last year’s Derby winner, Sovereignty in 2025. That left an open looking Preakness, run this year at Laurel rather than its traditional home, Pimlico. Three of the Kentucky Derby runners - Ocelli, Incredibolt and Robusta - did turn out, but played only a minor part in the finish, Ocelli and Incredibolt running on from the rear to claim fourth and fifth.

Meanwhile, up front, after tracking a sharp early pace, Napoleon Solo was in command turning for home, and stayed on well to score by 1¼ lengths over Iron Honor (Nyquist) and Chip Honcho (Concern). Pic - Liam’s Map (Unbridled’s Song - Miss Macy Sue by Trippi) is the sire of 7 Gr.1 winners including 2026 Preakness winner Napoleon Solo. Liam’s Map is inbred to his 5th and 6th dams Ta Wee and Aspidistra. Napoleon Solo had stamped himself as a horse to watch in just two starts last year, winning a maiden by 5¼ lengths, and then taking the 1600m Champagne Stakes (Gr1) by 6½ lengths after setting fractions so fast that veteran figure makers resorted to a frame-by-frame analysis to confirm their accuracy.

He had some issues through the winter and didn’t fire in his first two starts in 2026, the Fountain of Youth Stakes (Gr2) and Wood Memorial Stakes (Gr2). He’s shown dazzling early speed, and yet in the Preakness, after tracking the leader in the early stages, was still the fastest in the field over the last 300m, and should remain tough to beat in races up to around 1800m. Napoleon Solo’s sire, Liam’s Map (Unbridled’s Song), a winner of six of eight races, himself produced a spectacular front-running performance to capture the Woodward Stakes (Gr1) wire-to-wire by 4¾ lengths.

That was his penultimate outing, and he closed out his career taking the Breeders’ Cup Mile (Gr1), by 2½ lengths in new Keeneland track-record, before retiring to stand at Lane’s End Farm, Versailles, Kentucky. Liam’s Map has been one of the most successful stallion sons of his sire Unbridled’s Song. He’s sired 30 stakes winners from his first seven crops, 14 of them graded, including Colonel Liam, winner of back-to-back editions of the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (Gr1); Deterministic, whose successes include this year’s Manhattan Stakes (Gr1); the 2025 Blue Grass Stakes (Gr1) scorer Burnham Square; Wicked Whisper, heroine of the Frizette Stakes (Gr1); Hopeful Stakes (Gr1) scorer Basin; and Juju’s Map, who took the Alcibiades Stakes (Gr1).

Napoleon Solo, is out of Atomic Blonde, who gained a black-type victory when taking the South Beach Stakes over 1500m furlongs on turf at four, and she also earned third in the Winter Memories Stakes over 1700m furlongs on the same surface at three. It’s not surprising that Atomic Blonde proved best suited the grass, given that she’s by Scat Daddy out of Volver, a Danehill Dancer mare who won three times on the lawn in France.

Out of the A.P. Indy mare, Chanteleau, also a winner in France, Volver is three- quarters sister to Katerini, runner up in the Prix Yacowlef, and dam of Gallic Chieftain, successful in the ATC Chairman’s Handicap (Gr2) and second in the ATC Metropolitan Handicap (Gr1) while racing in Australia, and of French group winner Aladdin. Volver is also half- sister to Ourika, a winner in France and granddam of Anodor, who took the Prix de Chenes (Gr3), and also earned third in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Gr1).

A three-quarters sister to French listed winner, Leo Girl (by Seattle Slew), Chanteleau, is out of Navratilovna, a Nureyev daughter who captured the Prix d’Astarte (Gr2). Chanteleau is also half-sister to Sweet Blue Eyes, the dam of French stakes winner, Messouers; granddam of stakes winner Sister Liam’s Map (Unbridled’s Song - Miss Macy S including 2026 Preakness winner Napoleon S dams Ta Wee and Aspidistra.

Trouble; and third dam of Etoile a group winner in France, who also captured the E. P. Taylor Stakes (Gr1) at Woodbine. The dam of Navratilovna, Baracala, a French-raced daughter of Swaps, was half-sister to Nonoalco, a son of Northern Dancer’s sire, Nearctic, who took the Prix Morny (Gr1), Prix Jacques Le Marois (Gr1), Prix de la Salamandre (Gr1) and English 2,000 Guineas (Gr1). Baracala most notably produced Maximova, second top-rated two year-old filly in Europe in 1982, and she is ancestress of 37 stakes winners, also including the Atto Mile Stakes (Gr1) scorer Riviera; The Grey Gatsby, who took Prix du Jockey-Club-French Derby (Gr1), and Irish Champion Stakes (Gr1); Septieme Ciel, winner of the Prix de la Foret (Gr1); Macoumba, successful in the Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr1); Regally Ready, winner of the Nearctic Stakes (Gr1) and Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (Gr1); as well as standout sire, Malibu Moon (a close relative to Chanteleau, the third dam of Napoleon Solo).

This female line arrived in the U.S. in 1929 in the shape of Cinq a Sept, winner of the Irish Oaks and Park Hill Stakes. She most notably figures as the fifth dam of Secretariat and Sir Gaylord, but is also ancestress of several other luminaries, among them Scattered (Coaching Club American Oaks), Nancy Jr. (Kentucky Oaks), Fiesta Gal (Coaching Club American Oaks (Gr1)), Elocutionist (Preakness Stakes (Gr1)), Mairzy Doates e by Trippi) is the sire of 7 Gr.1 winners olo.

Liam’s Map is inbred to his 5th and 6th (Japan Cup (Gr1), and Alleged (Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr1), twice). The cross of Liam’s Map over mares by Scat Daddy now has 22 starters, and has produced three stakes winners, including the grade one scorers Napoleon Solo and Burnham Square, and six total stakes horses. Liam’s Map also sired grade one winning two year-old Basin out of a mare by Scat Daddy’s sire, Johannesburg.

Napoleon Solo is also one of nearly 70 stakes winners, 26 graded, whose pedigrees combine Unbridled (grandsire of Liam’s Map) and Johannesburg (sire of Scat Daddy). Unbridled is by Fappiano, who is by Mr. Prospector out of Killaloe, and Johannesburg is out of Myth who is by Ogygian (dam a half-sister to Killaloe) out of a mare by Mr. Prospector.

Kentucky Oaks

Pic - Gun Runner (Candy Ride - Quiet Giant by Giant’s Causeway) is the sire of 14 Gr.1 winners including 2026 Kentucky Oaks winner Always A Runner. Gun Runner was represented by no less than four of the 13 runners in the Kentucky Oaks (Gr1), and two of his daughters ended up with the race between them, Always a Runner scoring by a length over Meaning. This was the third victory in as many outings for Always a Runner, who had previously taken a maiden event at Tampa Bay Downs, and the Gazelle Stakes (Gr1).

The 2017 Horse of the Year, Gun Runner (by Candy Ride, from the Fappiano branch of Mr. Prospector) has become one of North America’s most important sires. From his first five crops, he has been represented by 58 stakes winners, 39 graded, and 14 grade one, also including Champion Three Year-Old Colt Sierra Leone, Champion Two Year-Old Fillies Echo Zulu and Super Corredor, and Preakness Stakes victor Early Voting. Gun Runner is available to cover mares to Southern Hemisphere time at the Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky and complete reference information can be found in his entry in this year’s edition of the Bluebloods stallion register STALLIONS 2026.

Always a Runner’s dam, Always Carina, a daughter of Malibu Moon (A.P. Indy), is a two-time winner who took second in the Mother Goose Stakes (Gr2). She is half-sister to Structor, who captured the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (Gr1). Their dam, Miss Always Ready, was only a minor winner at two, but she is a sister to More Than Real, heroine of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (Gr2). More Than Real was exported to Australia where she produced three stakes winners.

One of these, Miss Debutante, is the dam of Lady of Camelot, winner of the ATC Golden Slipper (Gr1), Champion Two Year-Old Filly in Australia, and the top-ranked three year-old filly on the 2024 World’s Best Racehorse rankings. The other two are Queen of the Ball, a four- time graded scorer, and Platinum Jubilee, successful in the ATC Gimcrack Stakes (Gr3). Miss Seffens, the dam of Miss Always Ready and More Than Real, was a daughter of Champion Two Year-Old Dehere, A sprinter/miler, Miss Seffens won 11 races, including five black- type events, and despite her stamina limitations, ran a courageous fourth in the Kentucky Oaks.

Miss Seffens’ third dam, Arctic Fancy (a daughter of Nearctic), is the granddam of several stakes winners, including the successful Canadian sire siblings Bold Executive and Highland Ruckus. Both were by Bold Ruckus and matings between that stallion and Miss Seffens second dam resulted in Katahaula County (winner of the Gr3 Equipoise Mile) and his sister Noise Enough, dam of Miss Seffens. Always a Runner is one of 23 stakes winners for Gun Runner out of A.P.

Indy line mares (16.5% to starters), but the cross with daughters of Malibu Moon has proved particularly potent with six graded stakes winners from just 15  - Pedigree Analysis 43 starters, others including Horse of the Year Sierra Leone and multiple Grade 1 winner Locked. To understand the particularly affinity for Malibu Moon mares, we need to take a closer look at Gun Runner’s pedigree. The mating that created Gun Runner was designed to reproduce the successful Candy Ride/Storm Cat cross, and Candy Ride’s broodmare sire, Candy Stripes, is a Blushing Groom/Northern Dancer cross, while Gun Runner’s broodmare sire, Giant’s Causeway, is Northern Dancer/ Blushing Groom.

Gun Runner is also intentionally inbred to Fappiano, and his dam is a Storm Cat (Storm Bird)/ Fappiano cross (Mr. Prospector). In the pedigree of Malibu Moon, we find that his dam, Group 1 winner Macoumba, is by Mr. Prospector out of a mare by a son of Nijinsky II. Like Storm Bird, Nijinsky II was a Windfields Farm-bred son of Northern Dancer. Thus, Macoumba reinforces the Storm Bird/Mr. Prospector cross found in Gun Runner’s dam.

We can also note that another A.P. Indy strain to excel with Gun Runner, that of Tapit, also has Mr. Prospector with Nijinsky II, and adds to the reinforcement of the pedigree of Gun Runner’s dam with an additional cross of Fappiano.

The English 2,000 Guineas (Gr1) lost some lustre when ante-post favourite, Gewan, the Champion Two-Year-Old of 2025 suffered a fatal breakdown in a racecourse gallop a month before the race. That left favouritism shared by Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) and Distant Storm (Night of Thunder). They duly finished second and third, but had to give best to the Royal Lodge Stakes (Gr2) winner, Bow Echo, who took his record to four-for-four with a decisive 2¾ length victory.

Pic - Night Of Thunder (Dubawi - Forest Storm by Galileo) is the sire of 5 Gr.1 winners including undefeated 2026 English 2000 Guineas winner Bow Echo who is closely inbred to Dubawi and his near ¾ sister Dubai Queen. Bow Echo is by Night of Thunder, a son of Dubawi, who upset Kingman to score a surprise victory in the 2014 2,000 Guineas. He had been a listed sprint stakes winner at two, and remained in training at four to add the Lockinge Stakes (Gr1).

Relatively lightly regarded when he retired to stud, he was represented by a remarkable first crop that, from 109 foals, produced an astonishing 22 stakes winners, 12 of them group level.

Gun Runner (Candy Ride - Quiet Giant by Gia including 2026 Kentucky Oaks winner Always He’s continued to build on that bright beginning, and in 2025 earned his first title as Champion Sire in the UK and Ireland. Overall he now has 77 Northern Hemishpere sired stakes winners to his credit, 39 group/graded, and in addition to Bow Echo and the ill-fated Gewan, the also include the 2025 1,000 Gunieas (Gr1) victress Desert Flower, the three-time group one winning sprint filly, Highfield Princess, and other group/grade one scorers Ombudsman, Choisya, Economics, Dynamic Pricing and Thundering Nights.

He also has eight stakes winners sired to Southern Hemisphere time, most notably the BRC Queensland Derby (Gr1) scorer Kukeracha. Bow Echo is out of the winning sprinter, Aristocratic lady, a daughter of Invincible Spirit. She is half-sister to group winner Royal Rhyme and Victoria Harbour. The grandam, group placed Dubai Queen, is a Kingmambo half-sister to Dubawi (actually a little closer as Kingmambo and Dubawi’s sire, Dubai Millennium, are both Mr. Prospector line). As a result, Bow Echo is inbred 3x3 to Zomaradah - a winner of four group races, including the Italian Oaks (Gr1) - who appears through Dubawi in the sire lne and Dubai Queen in the female line.

Whether or not this is an omen for the future, time will tell, but Zomaradah appears here in identical positions as does Natalma in the pedigree of Danehill.

nt’s Causeway) is the sire of 14 Gr.1 winners A Runner.

With victories in the Queen Mary Stakes (Gr2), Railway Stakes (Gr2), Cheveley Park Stakes (Gr1) and (on her seasonal reappearance) the Priory Belle Stakes (Gr3) to her credit, there was little doubt that European Champion Two Year-Old Filly True Love had the class to capture the 1,000 Guineas (Gr1). Given, however, that she’d never run beyond 1400m, the same could not be said about her potential to get the 1600 of the first filly classic.

In the event, the distance posed little problem as the bay triumphed by 1¾ lengths over Evolutionist (Night of Thunder) and Venetian Lace (Masar). True Love is by the Scat Daddy horse, No Nay Never, himself a European Champion Two Year-Old. The Leading First Season Sire of his crop, No Nay Never has proved a prolific source of fast and precocious runners, and to date from his NH crops has 68 stakes winners, 41 group or graded, and other group or grade one winners Alcohol Free, Blackbeard, Ten Sovereigns, Meditate, Little Big Bear, Whistlejacket and Never So Brave.

He has another 18 from Southern Hemishpre crops, among them, Madame Pommery, successful in the MRC Thousand Guineas (Gr1). A half-sister to the middle-distance group two winner Lily Pond, and sister to sprint group winner Truly Enchanting, True Love likely inherited some stamina through her dam, Alluringly. Despite being a daughter of Fastnet Rock, Alluringly won at 1900m, taking the Hurry Harriet Stakes, and she also took third in the English Oaks (Gr1). The second dam, All For Glory, is by Giant’s Causeway, out of All Too Beautiful, winner of three black-type events, including the Middleton Stakes (Gr3), and runner-up in the English Oaks.

All Too Beautiful produced a pair of stakes winners, including another Oaks placed filly, Wonder of Wonders. Though her stakes placed daughter, Sparrow, she has made her mark in Australia as dam of Sir Dragonet and Sir Lucan, and she’s also produced, Les Pavots, a No Nay Never daughter that took the Prix du Calvados (Gr3). By Galileo, out of the great mare Urban Sea, All Too Beautiful is a sister to Galileo and Black Sam Bellamy and half- sister to, among others, Sea The Stars.

The cross of Scat Daddy sons with Fastnet Rock mares has produced ten black-type winners from 89 starters, three by No Nay Never, and seven by Justify. The cross brings together Scat Daddy’s male line ancestor with his three-quarters brother, Royal Academy, the broodmare sire of Fastnet Rock. In True Love’s case, there is also a second cross of Storm Cat, with Storm Cat/Royal Academy 5x4x4.

POULE D’ESSAI DES POULAINS - FRENCH 2,000 GUINEAS The Aga Khan Studs - now helmed by the Princess Zahra, following the passing of the late Aga Khan - has been enjoying a tremendous year in 2026. One of the principal contributors to that success is Rayif, who opened his campaign with a win in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains- French 2,000 Guineas (Gr1). This was his third win in fourth starts, his sole defeat being a third to Puerto Rico in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Gr1).

Here, the reopposing Puerto Rico finished fourth, with Komorebi (Pinatubo) and Hankelow (Night of Thunder) separating them. Rayif is by the Sea The Stars horse, Sea The Moon, who as a racehorse was most notable for an 11 length triumph in the 2014 German Derby (Gr1). He’s never been the most commercial sire, but has been represented by 39 stakes winners. 21 group or graded, including the MRC Caulfield Cup (Gr1) scorer, Durston, as well as other group or grade one winners Fantastic Moon, Assistant, Alpine Star and Muskoka.

Out of the black-type place Holy Roman Emperor mare, Rayisa, Rayif is half- Night Of Thunder (Dubawi - Forest Storm b undefeated 2026 English 2000 Guineas winn and his near ¾ sister Dubai Queen.

brother to the Blue Point speedster, Rayevka, who won the Prix de Saint- Georges (Gr3) on the Poule d’Essai undercard, and who was also third in the Commonwealth Cup (Gr1) at Royal Ascot last season. Rayisa is half-sister to group winner Rehana, and out of a half-sister to the group winning sprinter Rayeina. The fourth, Rayseka, was a group three winner and took second in the Irish St. Leger (Gr1). She also appears as the fourth dam of Rouhiya, successful in the 2024 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches-French POULE D’ESSAI DES POULAINS- FRENCH 1,000 GUINEAS Successful last year in the Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr1) and Champion Two Year- Old Filly in France, Diamond Necklace took her record to four wins in four starts, with a three lengths triumph over The Last Dance (Iffraaj - Mary’s Precedent by Storming Home) and Green Spirit (Kingman - Sapphire Pendant by Danehill Dancer).

Exceptionally well-bred, Diamond Necklace, mixes the new and the old, as she’s from the first crop of her sire, St Mark’s Basilica and the dam was 18 years-old when Diamond Necklace was born. A son of Siyouni, St Mark’s Basilica, was European Champion at two when he took the Dewhurst Stakes Galileo) is the sire of 5 Gr.1 winners including er Bow Echo who is closely inbred to Dubawi (Gr1), and European Horse of the Year at three after adding the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, Prix du Jockey-Club-French Derby (Gr1), Eclipse Stakes (Gr1) and Irish Champion Stakes (Gr1).

He’s made a very promising start, as in addition to Diamond Necklace, he’s already represented by group winners Aylin and Thesecretadversary. He also has the TTC Gold Sovereign Stakes winner Aristopolos from 14 starters in his first Australian shuttle crop. Diamond Necklace’s dam, Prudenzia, is a French listed winner by Dansili. She has been an extremely successful broodmare, her nine winners also including Magic Wand, a group/graded winner in three countries, those victories including the VRC LKS Mackinnon Stakes (Gr1); the Irish Oaks (Gr1) heroine Chicquita (herself dam of group winner Emily Dickinson); and Philomene, a group winner who also took second in the Prix de Diane-French Oaks (Gr1).

The fourth dam, Souk is ancestress of no less than 36 stakes winners, among the VRC Melbourne Cup (Gr1) scorer Rekindling; Alexandrova, successful in the England and Irish Oaks (both Gr1); and the Prix de Diane-French Oaks scorer Channel.BB