In the Thoroughbred world, in the Northern Hemisphere at least, spring tends to be a celebration of youth: foals arriving, 2-year-old in training sales, and the 3-year-olds on the Triple Crown trail. To be contrarian, however, our focus from the spring weekend comes from the Essex Handicap (G3), where 9-year-old Rated R Superstar prevailed over another veteran, the 7-year-old Plainsman. Remarkably, in doing so, Rated R Super Star recorded the best Beyer Speed Figure of his career—which now totals 59 starts over what is fast approaching eight years at the track.
Rather surprisingly, in view of his longevity, Rated R Superstar was no late developer. In fact, he showed high-class form as early as the fall of his 2-year-old season, when after breaking his maiden by five lengths at Ellis Park, he took second in the Iroquois Stakes (G3), and third to Brody's Cause and Exaggerator in the Breeders' Futurity (G1). Since then, R Rated Superstar has gone on to win 11 races, $1,589,014, and six other black-type events, also including the Ben Ali Stakes (G3) and Carry Back Stakes (G3). What is astonishing to note is that more than $700,000 of those earnings have come in the 12 starts he has made since being claimed for $50,000 out of a winning effort at Oaklawn in January, 2021.
Rated R Superstar's sire, Kodiak Kowboy—a son of the Silver Deputy horse Posse—didn't campaign for anywhere near as long as Rated R Superstar, but similarly was both precocious and progressive. He earned a Sovereign Award as champion 2-year-old colt in Canada, and after taking the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) and Sport Page Handicap (G3) at 3, garnered an Eclipse Award as champion sprinter in the United States at 4, when his victories included the Vosburgh Stakes (G1), Carter Handicap (G1), and Cigar Mile Handicap (G1).
Retired to Vinery in Kentucky in 2010, Kodiak Kowboy moved to WinStar Farm when Vinery ceased its stallion operation. In 2014, he was sent to Haras Bage do Sul Farm in Brazil for the Southern Hemisphere season, and did not return to North America. The leading freshman sire by individual winners in 2013, Kodiak Kowboy sired nine stakes winners from five Northern Hemisphere crops also including the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) and Santa Anita Gold Cup (G1) victor Melatonin; Cool Cowboy, whose successes include the Burj Nahaar (G3) and Al Shindagha Sprint (G3) at Meydan; and another very durable performer in Shotgun Kowboy, a multiple graded winner of over $1,500,000 who was still winning graded events at age seven. Kodiak Kowboy has been represented by another nine stakes winners from his Brazilian crops, including the group 1 winners Jackson Pollock and Wil Myers.
Rated R Superstar's dam Wicked Wish was a maiden special weight and allowance winner at Keeneland. She is dam of six other winners. None of these have earned black-type, but one, Share the Sugar, is dam of the LA Bred Premier Night Starlet Stakes scorer Steph'sfullasugar. A daughter of Gold Case, Wicked Wish is a three quarter sister to the Pebbles Stakes (G3) victress Betty's Wish, who is out of a half sister to Wicked Wish's dam, Holy Wish. Holy Wish herself has been a highly successful producer, with four of her offspring capturing black-type contests, among them Wishful Tomcat, who took the Discovery Handicap (G3), and Uncle T Seven, winner of five restricted New York-bred stakes events. Another Holy Wish product, Pinking, appears as third dam of Speech, who sent a track record when winning the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1).
Holy Moly, the third dam of Rated R Superstar, is a Halo half sister to the Hopeful Stakes (G1) and Hutcheson Stakes (G1) winner Papal Power, and to the dam of the multiple graded stakes-winning California runner Aggie Engineer. Holy Moly's granddam Gris Vitesse was bred in the U.S. by Nelson Bunker Hunt, but raced in France. A temperamental individual, she was capable of high-class form when in the mood, as she showed when taking the Prix Yacowlef at 2, and defeating males in the Prix Jacques le Marois—a group 1 standard event—at 3. Gris Vitesse was also a successful broodmare, two of her offspring taking stakes contests in Europe, most notably Silver Hawk, winner of the Craven Stakes (G3) and Intercraft Solario Stakes, and second in the Irish Sweeps Derby (G1) and third in the English Derby (G1). Retired to stud in the U.S., Silver Hawk became an extremely successful stallion, with 77 stakes winners to his name, including the Vodafone English Derby (G1) winner Benny The Dip; Grass Wonder, who was champion 2-year-old in Japan, and has a continuing male line there; and Magnificent Style, a group winner and exceptional successful broodmare, her offspring including the top-class runner Nathaniel, in turn sire of the great mare Enable. Gris Vitesse is also ancestress of numerous other good stakes winners around the world, including the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T) scorer Hit the Road; War Command, who took the Dewhurst Stakes (G1) and Coventry Stakes (G2); and Rollout the Carpet, champion at 2 in New Zealand.
Rated R Superstar owns an interesting pedigree pattern. His sire, Kodiak Cowboy's broodmare sire, Coronado's Quest, is by Forty Niner out of a mare by Damascus, and Rated R Superstar's broodmare sire, Gold Case, is by Forty Niner out of a mare by a son of Damascus. The similarities between that pair are further increased by the fact that both Coronado's Quest and Gold Case are from the 'L' mitochondrial haplotype.
