Distorted Humor's Family Runs Deep in Stronghold

Although he was twice leading sire, and at one point regarded as a sire of sires, the Deputy Minister branch of Northern Dancer is a fast disappearing one, in North America at least. It did come up with a grade 1 winner over the weekend, however, as Stronghold earned his place in the Kentucky Derby (G1) lineup with a determined victory in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Stronghold descends from Deputy Minister through that horse's most significant son, Awesome Again. Successful in the Queen's Plate and Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) as a 3-year-old, Awesome Again was undefeated in six starts at 4, which included the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) against what was likely the strongest field ever assembled for this race. The 1998 Classic also featured Skip Away, Silver Charm, Swain, Victory Gallop, Coronado's Quest, Touch Gold, Gentlemen, and Arch. Despite this, Awesome Again got overlooked for year-end honors, which saw the Horse of the Year and champion older horse titles go to the sentimental favorite Skip Away. A very successful sire, Awesome Again achieved something top-class runners rarely do, by siring one better than themselves. In his case, he sired Stronghold's sire, Ghostzapper, who is undoubtedly one of the top five or six males to race on dirt in North America this century. Ghostzapper didn't make his black-type debut until late August of his 3-year-old season at Saratoga Race Course, where he caught the eye flashing home late to take third in the King's Bishop Stakes (G1). From there, Ghostzapper went undefeated in six subsequent starts—all in graded stakes—from 6 1/2 to 10 furlongs, including the Vosburgh Stakes (G1), the Metropolitan Handicap (G1), which he took by 6 1/4 lengths in his only start at 5; and the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), where he set a track record of 1:59.02 at Lone Star Park. Ghostzapper was voted Horse of the Year for 2004, an honor since matched in 2021 by Awesome Again grandson Knicks Go (by Paynter), another hope for the Deputy Minister sire line. As a sire, Ghostzapper hasn't matched the dominance he displayed on the track, but he has certainly been a more than successful one, and the 24-year-old stallion has been represented by 101 stakes winners, 55 graded. He's tended to be a better sire of fillies, which include twice champion female sprinter Goodnight Olive; champion female sprinter Judy the Beauty; Canadian Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly Moira; other Canadian champions Holy Helena and Theodora B.; and other grade 1 winners Paulassilverlining, Better Lucky, Guarana, Molly Morgan, Starship Truffles, Contested, and Greenzapper. His best males other than Stronghold have been Mystic Guide, successful in the Dubai World Cup (G1); Shaman Ghost, champion 3-year-old male in Canada and winner of the Santa Anita Handicap (G1); and other grade 1 scorers Moreno, Stately Victor, and Nucky. The Blood-Horse Stallion Register Online shows 11 sons of Ghostzapper at stud in the United States, but of those, only two, Mystic Guide and the grade 1-placed Loggins, are in Kentucky. Ghostzapper has a long way to go to match the exploits of Awesome Again, but Stronghold has proved to be more precocious. Last year, after a runner-up effort in his debut, he took a Churchill Downs maiden special weight, then ran second to the dominant winner, Nysos, in the Bob Hope Stakes (G3) before concluding the campaign by going down by just a half-length to Wynstock in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2). He's 2-for-2 this term, having kicked off the year with a 2 1/2-length victory in the Sunland Park Derby (G3). Much of the credit for Stronghold's early development must be accorded to his dam, Spectator. As a juvenile, the daughter of Jimmy Creed took the Sorrento Stakes (G2) by 5 1/4 lengths and gained grade 1 black-type with a third in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes. Although Spectator never added another black-type victory, she demonstrated she had trained on with a second to Midnight Bisou—later named 2019 champion older mare—in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1). Further speed and precocity comes into the distaff side of the pedigree through Spectator's dam, Diva's Tribute, an unraced daughter of Henny Hughes, and her second dam Swiss Diva (by the Californian speed sire Swiss Yodeler), who won the California Breeders' Champion Stakes at 2 and was second in the 6 1/2-furlong Santa Paula Stakes (G3). Stronghold's fifth dam is My Gidget, a half sister to a smart California runner named Cassaleria, who won the El Camino Real Stakes (G2), Longacres Derby (G3), and El Camino Real Derby. We arrive at more familiar territory with My Gidget's granddam Gay Sonnet, whose daughter is Orchid Handicap (G2) winner Sweetest Chant. As a broodmare, Sweetest Chant produced the graded stakes winner Danzig's Beauty, who is the dam of leading sire Distorted Humor. This gives an interesting pattern to the pedigree of Stronghold's dam, Spectator, as her sire, Jimmy Creed, is by Distorted Humor. Both Sweetest Chant and Spectator's third dam, One Stop, are by Mr. Leader, giving the close relatives 4x3 in Spectator's pedigree. Like another 2024 Kentucky Derby trial winner, the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) scorer Endlessly, the family goes back to Nectarine, a sister to five-time leading sire Bull Lea. This duplication of Distorted Humor's family may be particularly significant here, and Ghostzapper has enjoyed exceptional success with Distorted Humor line mares, with 10 stakes winners from 38 starters (26%), including six graded winners, with Stronghold, Guarana, and Molly Morgan at the grade 1 level.