Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Litmus Test

After recording top-four finishes in a trio of Grade 1 races, Litmus Test wrapped up his two-year-old season with a win in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2).

Litmus Test tracked the pace in second place for six furlongs before gradually wearing down the leader and edging away to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths, completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.38.

Success as a juvenile was always in the cards for Litmus Test. The $875,000 yearling acquisition has the pedigree to star from an early age, and—even better—the pedigree to progress into a major player in the 2026 Kentucky Derby (G1).

Litmus Test is a son of Nyquist, the champion two-year-old male of 2015. Nyquist’s unblemished 5-for-5 juvenile campaign included wins in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), FrontRunner (G1), and Del Mar Futurity (G1). While he did rally from as far back as eighth place in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Nyquist typically tracked or pressed the pace in second place, the same style Litmus Test employed in the Los Alamitos Futurity.

Nyquist maintained his strong form during the first half of his three-year-old year. He won the San Vicente (G2), Florida Derby (G1), and Kentucky Derby in succession; in the Kentucky Derby, he raced second for most of the way before taking over to beat a strong field by 1 1/4 lengths.

Unfortunately, Nyquist lost his final three starts after the Kentucky Derby, but ending on a down note hasn’t stopped him from carving out a successful stud career. He’s repeatedly shown the ability to sire early-maturing juveniles, including Vequist and Immersive, a pair of champion two-year-old fillies who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1); Argos and Gretzky the Great, winners of the Summer (G1); and Tenma, heroine of the Del Mar Debutante (G1).

But Nyquist has also sired capable three-year-olds and older horses, including Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Nysos, Alabama (G1) heroine Randomized, Awesome Again (G1) conqueror Slow Down Andy, Shoemaker Mile (G1) winner Johannes, B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile (G1) winner Cavalieri, and Del Mar Oaks (G1) winner Velocity.

In this respect, Nyquist is much like his own sire, Uncle Mo, who earned 2010 champion two-year-old male honors after winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Champagne (G1). Certainly, Uncle Mo has sired his fair share of top two-year-olds—Nyquist is a prime example, as is Golden Pal, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2). But Uncle Mo has developed an even stronger reputation for siring elite three-year-olds and older horses. Even Golden Pal trained on to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at age three.

Turning now to the bottom half of Litmus Test’s pedigree, his dam is Study Hard, a daughter of Malibu Moon who failed to finish better than sixth in three starts. Study Hard wasn’t much of a racehorse, but she’s fared better as a broodmare, foaling a trio of winners so far. Litmus Test is the most accomplished, but Study Hard has also produced Calmate (winner of a 1 1/8-mile turf maiden special weight at Santa Anita) and Home School (a four-time claiming winner over distances from one mile to 1 1/8 miles on dirt and turf).

It appears Study Hard is consistently passing on stamina to her foals, which isn’t surprising since she’s a daughter of Malibu Moon. While Malibu Moon raced only twice and scored his lone win in a five-furlong maiden special weight, he was bred to excel over classic distances, being a son of 1 1/2-mile Belmont (G1) winner and renowned stamina influence A.P. Indy out of a mare by Mr. Prospector, whose male-line descendants have won an almost countless number of Triple Crown races.

At stud, Malibu Moon carved out a successful career highlighted by the triumph of his son Orb in the 2013 Kentucky Derby. But the list of graded stakes winners sired by Malibu Moon goes on and on, spanning a wide variety of sprinters, milers, route racers, early-maturing two-year-olds, talented three-year-olds, and accomplished older horses.

Daughters of Malibu Moon are extending his influence. They’ve foaled Sierra Leone, the champion three-year-old male of 2024 best known for winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1); Stellar Wind, the champion three-year-old filly of 2015 who won half a dozen Grade 1 races; Locked, dominant winner of the Santa Anita H. (G1); Girvin, winner of the Haskell (G1) and a starter in the Kentucky Derby; and Midnight Bourbon, runner-up in the Preakness (G1) and a top-three finisher in several other Grade 1 races.

In short, the pedigree of Litmus Test suggests we haven’t seen his best yet. There’s a chance he’ll emulate his sire and parlay his accomplished juvenile campaign into a triumphant outing on the first Saturday in May.