Somethingroyal was one of the most influential mares of the 20th century, producing four stakes winners, including two-time Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner Secretariat, and Sir Gaylord, a standout at 2 and 3, who would have started favorite for the Kentucky Derby (G1) had he not fractured a sesamoid on the eve of the race.
With Secretariat and Sir Gaylord both becoming influential sires, it's not surprising that duplications of Somethingroyal soon became commonplace, and there are at least 50 stakes winners with Somethingroyal on either side of the pedigree within four generations (not to mention many more with distant duplications). Of those stakes winners, the most closely inbred is Weekend Surprise, who is by Secretariat out of Lassie Dear, by Buckpasser, out of Gay Missile, by Sir Gaylord, so having Weekend Surprise 2x4.
Racing for three seasons, Weekend Surprise won seven of 31 starts, including the Schuylerville Stakes (G3), Golden Rod Stakes (G3), and Pocahontas Stakes, and earning places in another 12 black-type contests, including a second in the La Canada Stakes (G1), thirds in the Frizette Stakes (G1), Delaware Handicap (G1), and Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (G1).
As smart as she was as a runner, Weekend Surprise's efforts on the track pale into insignificance compared to her success as a producer. Broodmare of the Year in 1992, her nine winners included Horse of the Year A.P. Indy and Hopeful Stakes (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Summer Squall. In total Weekend Surprise now appears as tail-female ancestress of at least 26 stakes winners, including other grade 1 scorers Court Vision, Happy Saver , and Profondo.
No less than seven of Weekend Surprise's sons sired stakes winners around the world, with A.P. Indy twice carrying off a title as Leading Sire in North America, and Summer Squall being responsible for Horse of the Year Charismatic and champion 2-year-old filly Storm Song. That circumstance made it inevitable that just like her near ancestress, Somethingroyal, Weekend Surprise would soon be found duplicated in stakes-winning pedigrees.
The most recent example of successful inbreeding to Weekend Surprise is Defunded, who went wire-to-wire and captured the 10-furlong Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) at Santa Anita Park on Memorial Day. Although Defunded was forward enough to win a six-furlong maiden special weight on only his second start, which came in March of his 3-year-old season, his career then turned out to be something of a slow burn. He did achieve three seconds in graded stakes, but it wasn't until his 12th outing that the then 4-year-old earned a first black-type victory, making all to upset stablemate Country Grammer in last year's Awesome Again Stakes (G1).
He added a wide-margin win in the Native Diver Handicap (G3) next out, then took second, a respectful 4 1/2 lengths behind Art Collector in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) on his 2023 opener. A close third in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1), Defunded presaged his holiday weekend win with a three-length victory in the Californian Stakes (G2).
Defunded's first cross of Weekend Surprise comes via his male line, as he is a great-grandson of A.P. Indy, with his sire, Dialed In , being by A.P. Indy's only Horse of the Year, Mineshaft . Dialed In was noted for a dramatic, "come from the clouds" running style, which brought him victory in three of his first four starts—a Churchill Downs maiden special weight at 2, and the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) and Florida Derby (G1)—the latter over a very strong field—at 3. Those tactics failed him in the Kentucky Derby, where he started as the favorite but after a troubled trip was only able to make it up to eighth from the rear of the 19-horse field, and the Preakness Stakes (G1), where after languishing more than 20 lengths off the pace in the first quarter, he closed to finish fourth, beaten 4 1/4 lengths.
That proved to be Dialed In's final start at 3, and he ran just once more, finishing fourth in an allowance event the following March, before retiring to stand at Darby Dan Farm in Lexington. Despite starting his stud career at just $7,500, Dialed In has been a more than useful sire, with a total of 22 stakes winners, eight graded, including other grade 1 winners Super Stock and Get Her Number.
Defunded's dam, the multiple black-type placed Touch Gold mare Wind Caper, is dam of five winners from eight foals and six starters, including two other black-type placed horses. The second cross of Weekend Surprise comes in through Defunded's second dam, Wind Tunnel, a winner of the Half Moon Stakes at Monmouth Park, and a daughter of Summer Squall. Wind Tunnel is a half sister to the Thoroughbred Club of America (G3) scorer Reunited, whose son Code of Honor numbered the Travers Stakes (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) among his victories.
Reunited's dam, Tivoli, a daughter of Mt. Livermore, won two minor stakes, and was fast enough to equal a course record for five furlongs. Behind this, the family has been more solid than spectacular, and one doesn't find another grade 1 winner on the page until one comes to Defunded's sixth dam, Miss Newcastle, who is also ancestress of the Turf Mile Stakes (G1) and Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1) captor Thorn Song; of Fiesta Lady, successful in the Matron Stakes (G1); and of a trio of South American grade 1 scorers headed by Juno, champion of her generation at 2 in Brazil.
Beyond the inbreeding to Weekend Surprise through A.P. Indy and Summer Squall, Defunded has quite a complex pedigree pattern. Dialed In's dam, Miss Doolittle, is by Storm Cat (a Storm Bird/Secretariat cross), out of champion 2-year-old filly Eliza, who is by Mt. Livermore out of a mare by a son of Bold Ruler. Wind Tunnel, the granddam of Defunded, is by Summer Squall (a Storm Bird/Secretariat cross), out of Tivoli, who is by Mt. Livermore out of a mare by a grandson of Bold Ruler, making the pair very closely related.
