So far this year nine North American freshman sires have been represented by a stakes winner, but until Sept. 12, only one, 2021 Horse of the Year Knicks Go , had a graded scorer to his name.
That changed Saturday, when he was joined in that category by Rock Your World , whose daughter Taken by the Wind romped by 5 1/4 lengths in the Pocahontas Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs—the first points race on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
The well-named Taken by the Wind—the name comes from a lyric the song "Rhiannon" by the rock band Fleetwood Mac, the name Rhiannon, incidentally, being that of a horse goddess from a collection of medieval Welsh folk stories—was making just her second start. She'd been similarly impressive on her debut, which came at seven furlongs at Saratoga Race Course, scoring by three lengths despite running very greenly.
Rock Your World himself was unraced at 2, but won his first three starts at 3 in 2021, a six-furlong Santa Anita Park maiden special weight, and the one-mile Pasadena Stakes, both on the turf, and the Santa Anita Derby (G1), where he tallied a front-running victory by 4 1/4 lengths over the subsequently disqualified Kentucky Derby (G1) first past the post, Medina Spirit. Rock Your World also contested the Derby, but crossed the line in 17th, never having been closer than 10th.
Only sixth in the Belmont Stakes (G1), the dark bay or brown colt returned from a midseason break to finish second to Medina Spirit in the Shared Belief Stakes. Switched back to the turf, Rock Your World ended his 3-year-old season and career with an unplaced run in the Twilight Derby (G2T).
Retired to Spendthrift Farm near Lexington, he began his career at a fee of $10,000 in 2022.
Rock Your World is by the undefeated Candy Ride (from the Cryptoclearance branch of Fappiano), who in addition to being a very successful stallion in his own right, is already represented by two excellent stallion sons in Gun Runner , Twirling Candy ,as well as leading second season sire Vekoma . It's worth noting that on the North American general sires list through Sept. 15, Gun Runner, Twirling Candy, and Candy Ride currently sit third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. Rock Your World's dam, the Empire Maker mare Charm the Maker, won the 2011 Sharp Cat Stakes and 2013 Adoration Stakes, and her placings include a pair in grade 1 races at 2: second in the 2011 Hollywood Starlet Stakes and third in the 2011 Oak Leaf Stakes.
So far, Rock Your World is represented by nine individual winners. In addition to Taken by the Wind, they include the Proud Man Stakes second Khon Han; Oriole Way, runner-up in the Seeking the Ante Stakes; and the Debutante Stakes third Color Comin' In.
Taken by the Wind is out of the winning First Samurai mare Up for Grabs, dam of five winners from eight foals of racing age and seven starters, also including the 2021 Incredible Revenge Stakes second Running Memories.
The second dam, Love Always, a daughter of Saint Ballado, failed to place in three starts and never produced a runner of note, but she did own a high-class pedigree. Out of the Mr. Prospector mare Love From Mom, she is a half sister to 1998 San Vicente Stakes (G2) victor Sea of Secrets; 1992 Ak-Sar-Ben Board of Governors' Handicap (G3) captor Dancing Jon; Fight for Love, successful in the 1995 Broward Handicap (G3) and runner-up in the 1992 Futurity Stakes (G1); and Love That Jazz, winner of the 1998 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes (G3), second in the 1996 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), and dam of Society Selection, who captured five graded stakes including the 2004 Alabama (G1), 2004 Test (G1), and 2003 Frizette (G1) stakes.
Love Always is also half sister to the graded stakes-placed Prospect for Love and to Minister's Mom, granddam of the 2018 Bewitch Stakes (G3T) winner Mom's On Strike and of stakes winners Otago and Someday Is Today. A sister to stakes winner Raise a Prospector, Love From Mom is out of 1975 Fantasy Stakes (G2) scorer Hoso. Herself a daughter of Holly-O., heroine of the 1966 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and 1967 Barbara Fritchie Handicap, Hoso stems from the same branch of the native American A5 family as Airmans Guide, champion older mare of 1961.
Taken by the Wind is the third stakes winner by Candy Ride or a son of Candy Ride, out of a mare by First Samurai. It's a version of the Candy Ride/Giant's Causeway cross that most notably produced 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner. Taken by the Wind is actually inbred to Giant's Causeway, a pattern found in six other stakes winners, including grade 1 winner Gunite , and his brother, Spice Runner, who coincidentally, took the Iroquois Stakes (G3), the first points-paying event for the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
We can note that here the double of Giant's Causeway—by a Northern Dancer-line stallion out of a Rahy (Blushing Groom) mare—is combined with Candy Ride's broodmare sire, Candy Stripes, a Blushing Groom/Northern Dancer cross, and with Saint Ballado, a brother to Rahy's dam, 1980 Canadian Horse of the Year and United States champion older mare, Glorious Song.
