For all that he was as the dominant stallion of his time, his stud fee eventually reaching $500,000, Storm Cat came no closer to siring a Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winner than Bluegrass Cat, who ran a distant 6 1/2-lengths second to Barbaro in 2006.
Going into the 2021 renewal, however, the Storm Cat sire-line had been responsible for two of the last three winners, so it was no surprise that the closing stages came down to a battle between two Storm Cat line colts. Given that he'd been responsible for last year's victor, Authentic , it was also little surprise that one of the battling duo, Mandaloun , was a son of Into Mischief . And given his propensity for siring classic distance runners, it was no great surprise that the other protagonist, Medina Spirit, was by a son of Giant's Causeway. What was a lot less predictable is that Medina Spirit, who held off Mandaloun by a half-length should be from the first crop of the comparatively unheralded Protonico.
Protonico was actually one of three graded stakes-winning sons of Giant's Causeway to retire to stud in Kentucky in 2017, the others being Not This Time and Brody's Cause , both also already sire of graded winners. Protonico may not have been as commercial as the other two, but he certainly had some noteworthy credentials. Although possessed of a very stout pedigree, he was quick enough to take a six-furlong maiden special weight at Delaware Park by 12 3/4 lengths in his first of two outings at 2. At 3, he took the Smarty Jones Stakes (G3) and Discovery Handicap (G3), and ran second to Hopportunity in the Clark Handicap (G1), beaten just a half-length. The following year Protonico added wins in the Alysheba Stakes (G2) and in the Ben Ali Stakes (G3), which he took by five lengths while setting a new track record and earning 107 Beyer Speed Figure. Protonico returned to the lists for two more outings at 5, winning an allowance at Belmont Park and taking third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).
That 107 Beyer suggested Protonico had more talent than the bare record suggests, and he also owns plenty of pedigree. As mentioned above, his sire is Giant's Causeway, a horse whom I always thought that on his form with Tiznow in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) might well have won that year's Kentucky Derby (G1), had he been given a shot at that race. Instead, the Run for the Roses was taken by Fusaichi Pegasus, who did finish behind Giant's Causeway in the Breeders' Cup Classic, while the first Saturday of May saw Giant's Causeway finish second to King's Best in the Sagitta Two Thousand Guineas (G1). He then narrowly lost out in the Entenmann's Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1), before embarking on a five race group 1 winning streak that would earn him the sobriquet "The Iron Horse."
Subsequently, Giant's Causeway became an exceptionally successful stallion. Three-time leading sire in North America, he has more than 40 stakes-siring sons, including an exceptional one in the late Shamardal. Protonico's dam, Alpha Spirit, also has strong pedigree credentials as she is by A.P. Indy from Wild Spirit, Horse of the Year in Chile and successful in the 2003 Ruffian Handicap (G1) while racing in the U.S.
Protonico stood the most recent year at a fee of $5,000 at Castleton Lyons in Lexington, having begun his career at Taylor Made Farm near Nicholasville, Ky. There were 21 foals in his first crop, 10 of which have started and four are now winners, Medina Spirit continuing the phenomenon of sires having disproportionate success with runners from their first foals. This is generally attributed to a sire frequently receiving his biggest and best bred book of mares the year in which he retires. I've noticed, however, that even the best stallions frequently tend not to show a marked improvement over their initial get, even when the quantity and quality of visiting mares is significantly improved, so there may be something more at foot.
Medina Spirit's immediate family produced a Storm Cat horse who came into the Kentucky Derby as a far more fancied choice than Medina Spirit. Medina Spirit is the only foal of his dam, Mongolian Changa, a daughter of the short-lived Dynaformer horse Brilliant Speed, who won a maiden special weight at Presque Isle Downs from six starts at 2, her only season to race. However, his granddam, Holy Niner, is by Unbridled out of a Holy Bull half sister to Storm Cat son, High Yield. He was from the same Storm Cat crop as Giant's Causeway, and started as the joint second favorite for the 2000 Kentucky Derby, coming into the race off a win in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1). He finished only 15th at Churchill Downs and then ran unplaced in the Preakness Stakes (G1), but he'd previously captured the 1999 Hopeful Stakes (G1) and Fountain of Youth Stakes (G1). At stud he proved to be a disappointment. Holy Niner is also half sister to the Giant's Causeway mare, Scoop of Gold, dam of the Eatontown Stakes (G3) victress Medea.
Medina Spirit's fourth dam, Scoop the Gold, a daughter of Forty Niner, was a minor stakes winner, and was a half sister to Forest Flower, champion at 2 in England, winner of the Irish One Thousand Guineas at 3, and later fourth dam of the Two Thousand Guineas winner and hot young stallion, Night of Thunder. Another half sister, All Hallows, is granddam of Catch a Glimpse, champion 2-year-old filly and champion turf female in Canada.
Scoop the Gold's Dam, Leap Lively, was both classically-bred and a classic performer. A daughter of Nijinsky II, she raced in England, where she captured the Ascot Fillies Mile (G3) and Lingfield Oaks Trial (G3) and took second in the Yorkshire Oaks (G1) and third in the Epsom Oaks (G1). Salina Cookie, a three-quarters sister to Leap Lively, is granddam of the Carter Handicap (G1) scorer, Warrior's Reward (who, incidentally, was represented in this year's Derby as broodmare sire of Highly Motivated ). Their dam, the Graustark mare Quilloquick, is ancestress of numerous other stakes winners including another classic winner in the Mis Emma, successful in the German One Thousand Guineas (G2), Ruud Awakening, champion at 2 in New Zealand, and Taconeo, champion 3-year-old colt in Venezuela.
The family arrived in the U.S. in 1940s, with the importation by Louis B. Mayer of the English-bred mare Donatrice. She was unraced but as extremely well-bred, as she was by Federico Tesio's great runner, Donatello, out of Tivoli, successful in the Prix Maurice de Gheest and Prix d'Astarte while racing in France. She proved to be an excellent producer her offspring including the Arlington Classic victor, The Dude; Biscayne, successful in the Dominion Day Handicap; Bellesoeur, winner of the Spinaway and Astarita Stakes.
It's Bellesoeur that figures as eighth dam of Medina Spirit, and she's previously appeared as ancestress of classic winners Maria Waleska, who took the Italian Oaks (G1) and Gran Premio d'Italia (G1), Benson & Hedges Gold Cup (G1) scorer, Hawaiian Sound, and Mr. Leader, and tough runner and useful sire who is most often found in pedigrees as the sire of the second dam of Distorted Humor. We'll also note that Bellesoeur's stakes winning son, Jabneh, appears in the pedigree of Medina Spirit. He's sire of the second dam of Deputy Minister, and Deputy Minister's daughter, Daijin, is granddam of Medina Spirit's broodmare sire, Brilliant Speed.
