Wit Elevates Freshman Sire Practical Joke

The freshman sires of 2021 have only had starters for a matter of weeks now, but already no less than five of them—Caravaggio, who now stands at Ashford Stud in Kentucky but whose first crop were conceived in Ireland; his stud-companion Practical Joke; the Candy Ride (ARG) pair Unified and Eagle; and Shaman Ghost—have been represented by their first stakes winners. Only one of the quintet has a graded winner so far, and that's Practical Joke, whose son Wit took pro tem leadership of the juvenile colts division when powering home eight lengths clear in the Sanford Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course July 17. It's no particular surprise to see Practical Joke achieve this distinction. Indeed given his race record, pedigree, and representation (he has 101 first crop foals, the fourth highest of the crop), he'd been the pick of many to top a freshman sire table over a group that also notably features Horse of the Year Gun Runner (who currently leads the way by earnings) and champion 2-year-old colt Classic Empire. Practical Joke was himself a top-class 2-year-old, kicking off his career with three straight victories, including the Hopeful Stakes (G1) and Champagne Stakes (G1), prevailing in determined fashion in the two grade 1 events, both which he took in photo finishes. He ended the year closing for third, 7 3/4 lengths back of the principals, Classic Empire and Not This Time, in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). Practical Joke opened up his 3-year-old season with seconds in the Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) before finishing fifth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1). Subsequent victories in the Dwyer Stakes (G3) and H. Allen Jerkens Stakes (G1) confirmed that he was best as a closing sprinter/miler. Interestingly enough, both Practical Joke's sire, Into Mischief, and his broodmare sire, Distorted Humor, made surprisingly bright stars from modest stud fees—Into Mischief was third in the freshman sire list, and Distorted Humor top—before going on to gain multiple leading sire titles. Wit's dam, the unraced Medaglia d'Oro mare Numero d'Oro, has already produced a smart performer in Barkley. A son of Munnings, Barkley was campaigned exclusively at Emerald Downs in Washington and won 10 of 20 starts there, including the Longacres Mile (G3) and five other black-type events. Numero Uno, the granddam of Wit, also showed more than her share of talent with wins in the Hollywood Wildcat and Jewel Princess stakes and San Leandro Handicap, and she also took third in a pair of grade 2 events. In addition to Numero d'Oro, Numero Uno is dam of another graded stakes producer in the Forest Wildcat mare Fallseed. Fallseed is dam of the Archarcharch filly Ivy Bell, who captured the Inside Information Stakes (G2) and took second in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) and Humana Distaff Stakes (G1). A little further back, the family is a transplanted U.S. one that made its name in Europe. Wit's third dam, Une Pavane, is a French-foaled daughter of Caro and the accomplished racemare, Silver Cloud. A daughter of Dan Cupid, a Native Dancer stallion best-known as the sire of the mighty Sea-Bird II, a horse who until the arrival of Frankel (GB) was often cited as the best to ever race in Europe, Silver Cloud was no Sea-Bird II, but was good enough to earn a rating as champion 2-year-old filly in France after defeating males in the Grand Criterium. She wasn't as dominant at 3, but did take the Prix de la Nonette, and earn third in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks). Silver Cloud's dam, Beactive, was bred in the U.S. by Mrs. P. A. B. Widener, but raced in France, where she won the Prix de la Cascade. She has founded an important international family that has so far produced 43 stakes winners, with group and grade 1 winners in five different countries, among them U.S. grade 1 scorers Queen to Conquer and Trust N Luck, German champions Quebrada and Querari, and the 143 Ostermann-Preis der Diana-Deutsches Stuten-Derby (German Oaks, G1) winner Silvester Lady. Beactive's second dam, War Kilt, is an interesting mare. By Man o' War out champion 2-year-old filly Friar's Carse, she was inbred 3x3 to Fairy Gold and Rock Sand, two of the grandparents of Man o' War. The intense inbreeding pattern proved to be a successful one: War Kilt won the Demoiselle Stakes, and the Man o' War—Friar's Carse mating also produced War Relic, a savage-natured individual, but one good enough to defeat Triple Crown victor, Whirlaway, in the Narragansett Special, and a vital link in the progression of the Man o' War line to the present day; Speed Boat, who took the Adirondack Handicap and Test Stakes, and another sister, Anchors Ahead, both of whom founded important families. War Relic appears in the pedigree of Caro, so Wit's third dam, Une Pavane, has both War Relic and War Kilt, and Speed Boat also appears in Wit's pedigree via Medaglia d'Oro. Wit is an example of the emerging cross of Into Mischief and his sons with Medaglia d'Oro line mares, which has now produced four stakes winners from only 18 starters. Practical Joke's broodmare sire, Distorted Humor, has also combined very well with Sadler's Wells in general, and Medaglia d'Oro has sired grade/group 1 winners Golden Sixty, New Money Honey, and Elate out of Distorted Humor mares. The relationship between Distorted Humor and Wit's dam, Numero d'Oro, is a particularly noteworthy one. Distorted Humor is by a son of Mr. Prospector and out of a mare by a son of Northern Dancer, and his second dam is by Mr. Leader, a Hail to Reason/Djeddah cross. Numero d'Oro is also out of a mare by a son of Mr. Prospector, and her great-grandsire, Sadler's Wells, is by Northern Dancer out of a mare by Bold Reason, a Hail to Reason/Djeddah cross.