2016 Kentucky Derby Pedigrees: Majesto

Majesto is the second Kentucky Derby (G1) runner produced by his dam, Unacloud. He was foaled just about a week before half-brother Overanalyze, the 2013 Arkansas Derby (G1) romper, finished 11th in the Run for the Roses.

Unlike Overanalyze, who figured to come to hand early as a son of Dixie Union, Majesto has a different profile as a son of Hall of Famer Tiznow: i.e., he is bred to thrive with maturity and over added ground.

Tiznow began his career in the spring of his 3-year-old season and blossomed in the second half of 2000, securing Horse of the Year honors with a three-race win skein capped by a rousing Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) over Giant’s Causeway. Tiznow became a legend when prevailing in another epic duel with Sakhee a year later, and he remains the only two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic hero.

Now doing his part to prolong the male line of the venerable Man o’ War, Tiznow has sired 2009 Dubai World Cup (G1) conqueror Well Armed; Colonel John, hero of the 2008 Travers (G1) and Santa Anita Derby (G1); Da’ Tara, who pulled the stunning upset when Big Brown was pulled up in the 2008 Belmont (G1); Canadian champion mare Bear Now; 2005 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1)-winning champion Folklore; and Grade 1 scorers Tizway, Tiz Miz Sue, Tough Tiz’s Sis, Morning Line, Bullsbay, and Gemologist.

Majesto is the third Grade 1-caliber performer produced by Unacloud. In addition to the aforementioned Overanalyze, she is also responsible for 2006 Matron (G1) victress Meadow Breeze. Another of her offspring, Mighty Monsoon, placed in the 2011 Best Pal (G2) at two. Unacloud is the dam of seven winners overall from 10 foals of racing age.

Unacloud is by Unaccounted For, a well-bred son of Private Account who landed the 1995 Whitney (G1) and chased Hall of Famer Cigar for minor awards in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic. An indifferent sire here with Grade 3 winners Grundlefoot and Quick Tip to his credit, he was exported to Turkey and has made a much bigger impact in his adopted country.

But Unaccounted For hasn’t disappeared from American pedigrees altogether. He’s popped up as an occasional broodmare sire of major winners, e.g., reigning champion turf horse Big Blue Kitten, multiple Grade 1 vixen Executiveprivilege, and $2.8 million earner Hoppertunity (the latter two out of Grade 2-placed Refugee).

Unacloud is herself a half-sister to Ilusoria, the third-placer in the 2000 Matron and the dam of multiple Delaware stakes winner and Grade 3-placed Peak Maria’s Way.

Unacloud and Ilusoria’s dam, Cloud’s Ambre, has a well-constructed if not overly fashionable pedigree. She sports the Rasmussen Factor of inbreeding to a superior female, in her case, Mr. Prospector’s dam, Gold Digger. That 3x3 duplication comes via her sire Two Punch (the son of Mr. Prospector and champion Heavenly Cause) and her broodmare sire Yukon (Mr. Prospector’s half-brother by Northern Dancer).

Cloud’s Ambre is out of the Yukon mare Arctic Cloud, a six-time stakes winner in the Mid-Atlantic region. Arctic Cloud compiled a record of 35-11-6-5, reflecting a further nine stakes placings including the 1987 Black-Eyed Susan (G2). She went on to foal Maryland-bred stakes scorers Irish Cloud and Stormy Cloud.

The next few generations are a bit thin, until you get to the prolific handicapper Shot Put, who won or placed in 65 of 138 starts in the 1930s-40s. The deeper family was especially notable abroad: Manna turned the 2000 Guineas/Epsom Derby double in 1925, and half-brothers Botticelli and Braque were among Federico Tesio’s stars.

 

Pedigree information courtesy Brisnet.com.

Photo courtesy Churchill Downs/Coady Photography.