An Unbridled's Song Look at the 2009 Derby

Among the top contenders for the 2009 Derby trail, includes a Trio of prospects sired by Unbridled's Song.  Midshipman, Old Fashioned and Silver City have shown speed, class, and strong Juvenile form.  Will they be able to progress and carry that form 10 furlongs the first Saturday in May?

Unbridled's Song is a Gray/Roan from the class of 1993 who started 12 times in his career.  His career was filled with some flashy performances, but ultimately soundness issues limited him to 12 starts and 5 wins.  His 5 wins included the Grade 1 Breeder's Cup Juvenile and Florida Derby and also the Grade 2 Wood Memorial.  

Unbridled's Song went off the Kentucky Derby favorite in 1996 and entered the derby with a record of 4 wins in 7 starts.  Speed was his calling card with with past performances showing a 4 length lead at the top of the stretch in his 5-1/2 length victory and with a 3 length lead in the Wood memorial at the stretch call before winning by 1-1/2 lengths.  His Florida Derby earned him a "Beyer" speed figure of 114.

As a sire Unbridled's Song has passed along some of his precocious speed, but has also passed along some of his "soundness" issues.  He has had success with both fillies and colts, including Breeder's Cup distaff winner Unbridled Elaine and this year's Breeder's Cup Juvenile winner Midshipman.

In recent year's Unbridled's Song has been represented on the Derby Trail with flashy contenders including:

Song of the Sword

Rockport Harbor

Eurosilver

First Defense

Value Plus

Unbridled Energy

Half Ours

Buddha

This past spring he was represented by the filly Eight Belles who finished 2nd in the Kentucky Derby.

Despite the Breeder's Cup Juvenile victory by Midshipman.  Many racing fans consider Old Fashioned the Juvenile division leader, undefeated and untested he won the Remsen Stakes by 7 lengths.  His first 2 victories were equally impressive.  The main draw back of the Remsen, was that every horses was eligible for a NW1 other than and he was able to draw off after setting uncontested fractions on the front end.

Midshipman started his career with a win first out on the West Coast.  In the Breeder's Cup juvenile he reversed previous off-the-pace tactics and took the field by surprise with a wire-to-wire victory.  His win on the front end, was one of the few "Flag Fall to That's All" efforts on polytrack Breeder's Cup weekend.  

The juvenile was run with Midshipman, Square Eddie and Street Hero, all prominently placed and running 1-2-3 around the track.  Midshipman warmed up well and looked on the muscle in the post parade before drawing off on the wire to wire victory.

Silver City a $700,000 yearling started his career with a loss.  His most recent effort in a NW1 Allowance earned him a speed figure of 101 with a strong finishing kick down the lane.  His victory at Keeneland in his maiden win looked like he had something extra in the tank and defeated some nice runners.

Many of Unbridled's Songs best runners have developed and flashed high speed figures in dominating performances.  Rockport Harbor is the horse most similar to Old Fashioned.  "Rocky" debuted with a 8 length win at Philadelphia in September of 2004 and won his first 3 races by a combined 23 lengths.  In his 4th career start Rockport captured the Remsen Stakes Old Fashioned has picked up his 3 victories by a combined 22 lengths.

Octave began her career with a win at Churchill Downs at 4 - 1/2 furlongs and ran in 4 sprint races before stretching out and running second in the Breeder's Cup Juvenile fillies in 2006 to Dreaming of Anna.

Half Ours was another brilliant fast son of Unbridled's Song.  Half Ours broke his maiden by 10 lenghts at 4-1/2 furlongs and then captured a Juvenile stakes by 4 lengths but did not race again his juvenile season and remained injured during his 3 year old campaign.  Half Ours had a 2 demerits going against him, in addition to Unbridled's Song as his Sire, he was out of a Storm Cat mare!

Two more fast sons of Unbridled's Song.  In the winter and spring of 2002 Buddha terrorized Gulfstream Park with a devastating maiden win and Allowance NW1, then Buddha went to New York and won the Wood Memorial over a very strong field, 3 for 3  is sophomore campaign he would have been one of the derby favorites, but was scratched the week of the the derby and never raced again.  Again Buddha was out of a Storm Cat mare!

Value Plus opened his career with a 8 length win at Saratoga in his juvenile season.  He then started his Sophomore campaign with a 5 length win at Gulfstream Park, ran second in the Florida Derby.  He did not win again until winning the Artax handicap at Gulfstream Park in his 4 year old campaign.  Fast and fragile, Value Plus once again could not overcome those long legs that the Unbridled's Song's seem to carry.

• Unbridled's Song seem to fire fit, fresh and ready in their career debuts and off the shelf
  
• they  like Gulfstream Park surface
  
• Just say not to Storm Cat mares!
  
• many go on the shelf and have multiple layoff lines

Silver City and Old Fashioned figure to take the Fairgrounds and Oaklawn Park route to the Derby.  Midshipman will go by way of Dubai!

Old Fashioned is out of a Meadowlake mare, he was fast and precocious himself winning the Arlington Washington Futurity by 15 lengths and retiring 3 for 3.

Midshipman is out of  a Avenue of Flags mare.  Avenue of Flags was lightly raced and has produced some speedy but unsound horses himself.

Silver City is interesting in that he is out of Mt. Livermore, who adds a little soundness to the equation.

So while Old Fashioned, Midshipman and Silver City have impressed with gaudy wins and high speed figures.  A clean road to Kentucky may not be in the offering.  Many of the Unbridled's Songs in recent years have not been able to stand up to the training.  Trying the Big Brown route to the Derby may be the best approach.  Take December and January off, and 2 preps before the Derby.