While thinking about how to write this article, it dawned on me to write about the lesser known, but equally talented underdogs. One colt that comes to mind is the very handsome, very impressive maiden winner Came To Pass. This bay colt foaled April 8, 2004 will be maturing at the right time, however the graded earnings will probably come into play with him, but I still feel he is worth my time in writing about. This colt represents the powerful Darley Stables who purchased the son of Came Home for $350,000.00 at the Fasig Tipton Calder Two Year Olds in Training sale.
Came to Pass is from the first crop of Hopeful Stakes G1, Pacific Classic S G1, and Santa Anita Derby G1 winner Came Home. The speedy, tough, and durable son of Gone West was represented by 7 two year old winners, including C P West, who ran 2nd in the Grade 2 Futurity Stakes at Belmont, as well as Beautiful Venue who ran third in the listed Bassinet Stakes. It can be said that he was a bit disappointing because he didn't have as many early two year olds as one would have thought. Especially from this speedy two year. Came Home however was great as a three year old, hopefully the colts and fillies by him will only get better with age like he did, and like I think Came To Pass will do as well.
Came Home, sire of Came to Pass, stands at Lane's End Farm In Versailles, KY
Photo by Tony Leonard
When looking at Came To Pass' female family one is first and foremost impressed by the names in his ancestry as well as the overall look of balance to it, his pedigree appears to be one that is going to be good at sprints, as well as a horse that can go long.
Easy Pass, the dam of Came to Pass, was unable to get to the winners circle in 3 starts, however being a daughter of the great chestnut champion Easy Goer, an obvious impression would be that she would have the potential to be the dam of a potential derby starter. She would not be the first daughter of Easy Goer to be represented by a potential derby candidate.
Classic winner Easy Goer is a son of the Triple Crown Placed Alydar. He was out of the champion and broodmare of the year Relaxing, a daughter of the great stallion and racehorse Buckpasser. The Phipps family homebred classic winner won some of Belmont Park's most prestigious races for his age groups by taking the Champagne Stakes G1 at two, the Belmont Stakes G1 at three, and the Suburban H G1 at four. He ran a career record of twenty starts, fourteen wins, five seconds, and one third place, never out of the money, he had career earnings $4,873,770.00 and won 9 Grade 1 races.
In the breeding shed Easy Goer was on his way to becoming a great stallion. Siring My Flag, winner of the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies G1, as well as being named Champion 2 year Old Filly. This great mare also ran third in the Belmont Stakes G1 at three. He is also the sire of top three year old colt Will's Way who won the Travers Stakes G1. Sadly racing was only blessed with 133 foals by Easy Goer, 4 crops with 8 stakes winners.
Lets look at Easy Goer as a broodmare sire. This is where the stallion has honestly kept his name in the stud book, despite his daughters throwing at times his club foot. He has managed to have grand foals that are both sound and able to maintain a classic distance, despite the sire the mare is breed to.
Easy Goer's daughters, with best runner.
FURLOUGH: G2 winner, dam of 2006 Grade 3 winner or the Aqueduct Handicap, Happy Hunting, her first foal, has foals coming up by all the top sires.
ITSOEASY: Non-winner, is the dam of Santa Anita Derby G1 runner up Easy Grades.
MONTERA: unraced, dam of another classic contender when she produced Easyfromthegetgo, who ran second in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, and third in the Lexington Stakes G2. She is also the dam of G3 winner Sue's Good News.
MY FLAG: CHAMPION G1 winner: This great race mare and the top earning offspring of Easy Goer is the dam of Champion Two Year Old, and Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies G1 winner Storm Flag Flying. She is also the dam of G3 placed On Parade. Florida Breeders have access to this wonderful female family as well as to Easy Goer by going to My Flag's winning son Leading The Parade, a son of two time leading sire A. P. Indy. This handsome colt is in many ways almost a dead ringer for Easy Goer.
RETROSPECTIVE: WINNER: This 1/2 sister to leading sire Broad Brush has added to the families ability to have classic type sires. Retrospective's first foal has become a classic producing sire in Ireland when she produced Mull Of Kintyre. In his first crop of foals in 2006 Mull of Kintyre sired the tough three year old Araafa (IRE) who won the Irish Two Thousand Guineas IRE-G1, as well as winning the St. James's Palace S. ENG-G1. Mull of Kintyre comes to America's Ashford stud for 2007 with a steal for a stud fee at only $10,000.00.
MULTIPLY: Unraced: This mare is on her way to a broodmare of the year. This mare has top four year old Corinthian, who ran a good third in the Florida Derby G1. He recently came back in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park to demolish a field that included Belmont Stakes G1 winner Jazil. Multiply also is represented as the dam of Maiden three year old winner Vitruvious, a son of young stallion E Dubai, won his maiden race on February 17. This mare is no stranger to classic potential as she is also the dam of G2 San Rafael winner Desert Hero, who also ran a good third in the Santa Anita Derby.
Looking at his female family you see his second dam is a daughter of Nijinsky II, the Horse Of The Year in Europe, as well as top 2 and 3 year old in both England and Ireland, Nijinsky II won 11 of 13 starts. The third dam of Came To Pass is the tough race mare Margaise, winner of the Hollywood Lassie stakes, Nursery S. Goose Girl S. etc. She won 10 races and earned $170,00 plus dollars. She is a daughter of the great runner Round Table, leading sire, third horse to become a million dollar earner.
Came To Pass' female family is one that is solid throughout, however it lacks the big names you would like to see, as far as females under his second and third dams have produced. But hey, I think this is a special colt.
I would like to see this colt headed to the Florida Derby G1, however Darley Stables when they have talented horses, Discreet Cat as well as Bernardini come to mind, tend to take their time. This colt may be this years Bernardini. Like I mentioned he is an April 8 foal, he would be maturing at the right times. He ran an impressive maiden race at 7 furlongs. Who knows, this handsome, well built colt may be one to watch.
I hope that you enjoyed this, the first part of my articles on the Grade 1, Florida Derby. This year marks the 56th running of one of the top three year old preps for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum Brands G1, The mile and one eighth race is to be run on March 31, 2007.
Daniel Lewis
Icon Bloodstock
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