Few races deliver credibility to a stallion like the Kentucky Derby (G1) and the American classic has been a remarkably successful springboard for sires being represented by their first crop of 3-year-olds.
The progeny of second-crop sires have won or been first across the finish line nine times since 2000, including five in the last 10 runnings. Three of the most recent winners and first-placed finishers (accounting for disqualifications) occurred in the last four years.
Mage , who won the 2023 Kentucky Derby, is by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa's rising sire Good Magic , a son of Hill 'n' Dale's elite stallion Curlin . Good Magic was Eclipse champion 2-year-old colt for 2017 and went on to win the 2018 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and finish second in the Derby. In 2022, Calumet Farm's Keen Ice sired longshot Derby winner Rich Strike. Keen Ice, also a son of Curlin, was unplaced in the 2015 Kentucky Derby, finished third in the Belmont Stakes (G1), and then defeated American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes (G1). Then in 2021, Medina Spirit crossed the wire first in the Derby but would later be disqualified for a medication positive. Medina Spirit, who died in December 2022, was by Oussama Aboughazale's homebred stallion Protonico, a multiple grade 1-placed, grade 2 winner by Giant's Causeway and who now stands at Aboughazale's Haras Sumaya in Chile.
This year Lane's End's five-time graded stakes winner Catalina Cruiser is the only second-crop sire represented in the Kentucky Derby field. His son Catalytic earned his spot with a runner-up effort in the Florida Derby (G1) behind Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite Fierceness. Catalytic is owned by Tami Bobo, Julie Davies, and George Isaacs and is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr.
Bred in Kentucky by Fred Hertrich out of the Distorted Humor daughter One Show Only, Catalytic hails from the immediate family of grade 1 winner Bluegrass Cat who was second in the 2006 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes (G1). The family also has produced graded stakes winners Daydreaming, Dramedy, Imagining, Girolamo, and Lord of the Game.
Catalytic sold for $125,000 during Fasig-Tipton's 2022 The Saratoga Sale, its select yearling sale in New York, to an entity called F F F. Machmer Hall Sales sold the colt, which it pinhooked after acquiring him for $70,000 during the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
With only three starts under his girth, Catalytic faces a formidable challenge in the Derby, Joseph said.
"Our horse is lightly raced; this will be only his second start going two turns," he said. "Mage was second in the Florida Derby but he had a better record. We were 13 lengths behind Fierceness and that is a lot of lengths to make up. But hey, in the Derby you get some crazy results. The main thing is to get here and, once the horse is doing well, then give it a chance. He has shipped in well and gotten over the track good."
Catalytic won his debut impressively in October of his 2-year-old season at Gulfstream Park, taking a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight by 5 1/2 lengths. Joseph said they were waiting for an allowance race at Gulfstream for his next race but started having to wait too long for the right spot. With time running out on Road to the Kentucky Derby opportunities, he sent Catalytic to Tampa Bay Downs for a six-furlong allowance optional claiming race. The trainer said he didn't want to run him that short but the colt needed to run.
"He was restless in the paddock, and restless in the gate. At the top the stretch, it looked like he was going to run a distant fourth, but then he rushed home and just got beat. It was an eye-catching race, which gave us confidence to go into a Derby prep. It was a great second."
Catalytic closed from fifth to fall just three-quarters of length back in second.
In the Florida Derby, no one was beating Fierceness that day. The Repole Stable homebred by Lane's End sire City of Light won in gate-to-wire fashion by 13 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:48.22.
Catalytic finished in second 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Grand Mo the First.
Peter Sheehan, stallion manager at Lane's End, said Fierceness is an exceptional horse, who appears to be in a league all his own. But he said he was more than pleased to see the effort from Catalytic in the Florida Derby.
"It is a fantastic achievement for 'Catalina' to have a horse like Catalytic in the (Kentucky) Derby. He is in there with a chance," he said. "'Catalina' was a speed horse but he has the frame and scope to produce a horse that can carry that two turns. We are really excited to see that prove out in Catalytic."
Catalina Cruiser was bred by Lane's End founder William S. Farish. The horse is by the farm's Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Union Rags out of the Mineshaft winner Sea Gull, who is the dam of grade 1-placed, graded stakes winners and full siblings Royal Flag and Eagle (both by Candy Ride ). Campaigned by owner Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler, Catalina Cruiser won seven of nine career starts and racked up consecutive wins in the 2018-19 Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) and 2018-19 San Diego Handicap (G2) and added a win in the 2019 True North Stakes (G2). He retired with $711,100 in earnings.
Besides Catalytic, Catalina Cruiser has sired 23 other winners to date that include black-type performers Stellamaris and Latte Lizzie.
Kentucky Oaks Second-Crop Sires
Second-crop sires Omaha Beach and St Patrick's Day didn't see a Derby starter this year but they will be represented in the Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Spendthrift Farm's Omaha Beach is currently North America's second-leading second-crop sire by progeny earnings and the leader of the class by number of black-type performers with 10. The son of War Front will be represented in the Oaks by Klaravich Stables' graded-placed winner Regulatory Risk. The filly bred by Upson Downs Farm and Louis Wright was sold at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $235,000 by Upson Downs. With trainer Chad Brown, she won her third start at 2 and comes into the Oaks off a second in the Gazelle Stakes (G3) by 4 1/4 lengths behind Where's My Ring at Aqueduct Racetrack. Regulatory Risk will be ridden in the Oaks by Jose Ortiz.
Journeyman Stud's St Patrick's Day, Florida's leading freshman sire of 2023 and current leading second-crop sire, will be represented by Stonehedge homebred Fiona's Magic. Trained by Michael Yates, the filly out of Stonehedge's homebred Mollie's Magic (Factum) has only finished out the money once is six career starts. She won the one-mile Davona Dale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream. She was not a factor in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), where she finished eighth. Yates said the filly scoped clean and everything checked out prior to the Gulfstream stakes but then after the race she showed a lot of mucus when scoped. The trainer kept her at Gulfstream to prepare for the Kentucky Oaks. She arrived at Churchill Downs April 25. She will be ridden by Luis Saez.
| Sires of Kentucky Derby Top Finishers, 2000-23 | ||
| All finishers listed are winners except for Maximum Security and Medina Spirit, who crossed the wire first but were disqualified (*). Maximum Security was disqualified for interference, and Medina Spirit had a medication postitive. ¶ indicates second-crop sire. | ||
| Sire | Year | Top Finishers |
| ¶Good Magic | 2023 | Mage |
| ¶Keen Ice | 2022 | Rich Strike |
| Into Mischief | 2021 | Mandaloun |
| ¶Protonico | 2021 | Medina Spirit* |
| Into Mischief | 2020 | Authentic |
| Lookin At Lucky | 2019 | Country House |
| New Year's Day | 2019 | Maximum Security* |
| Scat Daddy | 2018 | Justify |
| ¶Bodemeister | 2017 | Always Dreaming |
| ¶Uncle Mo | 2016 | Nyquist |
| Pioneerof the Nile | 2015 | American Pharoah |
| Lucky Pulpit | 2014 | California Chrome |
| Malibu Moon | 2013 | Orb |
| Flower Alley | 2012 | I'll Have Another |
| Leroidesanimaux | 2011 | Animal Kingdom |
| Maria's Mon | 2010 | Super Saver |
| ¶Birdstone | 2009 | Mine That Bird |
| Boundary | 2008 | Big Brown |
| ¶Street Cry | 2007 | Street Sense |
| Dynaformer | 2006 | Barbaro |
| Holy Bull | 2005 | Giacomo |
| Elusive Quality | 2004 | Smarty Jones |
| ¶Distorted Humor | 2003 | Funny Cide |
| Our Emblem | 2002 | War Emblem |
| ¶Maria's Mon | 2001 | Monarchos |
| Mr. Prospector | 2000 | Fusaichi Pegasus |
