After falling a nose shy of victory in the UAE Derby (G2) in Dubai, Heart of Honor passed on a start in the Kentucky Derby (G1) to await the Preakness (G1).

The UAE Derby took place over 1,900 meters, the metric equivalent to the 1 3/16-mile distance of the Preakness. Heart of Honor’s strong showing over 1,900 meters in Dubai bodes well for his chances in the second jewel of the Triple Crown, and his pedigree concurs that classic distances are within reach for the British-bred colt.

Heart of Honor hails from the first crop of foals sired by Honor A. P., a talented route racer with a deep pedigree. Honor A. P. is a son of 2015 champion older dirt male Honor Code out of Vanity H. (G1) and Starlet (G1) winner Hollywood Story, a daughter of Metropolitan H. (G1) and Carter H. (G1) hero Wild Rush.

Honor Code won racing as far as 1 1/8 miles in the Whitney (G1) and also placed third in the 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). His route racing prowess isn’t surprising since he’s a son of 1992 Horse of the Year A.P. Indy, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic and 1 1/2-mile Belmont (G1) before emerging as a legendary stamina influence at stud. Honor Code has likewise passed on stamina as a stallion; aside from Honor A. P., he’s sired 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Max Player, 1 1/8-mile Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) heroine Maracuja, and recent 1 1/2-mile Isaac Murphy Marathon conqueror Honor Marie.

As for Honor A. P., he secured his signature victory in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby (G1), drawing off down the homestretch to defeat future Kentucky Derby winner Authentic by 2 3/4 lengths. Honor A. P. finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby after breaking slowly, racing wide, and coming out of the race with a minor tendon injury.

From a small first crop of foals, Honor A. P. has enjoyed some early success siring route racers. In addition to Heart of Honor, Honor A. P. is responsible for Glee (winner of the one-mile Toby Keith S.) and Margie’s Intention (runner-up in the one-mile and 70-yard Crescent City Oaks). His progeny are winning at an average distance of 6.7 furlongs—modest for the time being, but a number that may increase as Honor A. P.’s foals gain more experience in route races.

As for the bottom half of Heart of Honor’s pedigree, his dam is Ruby Love, a Chilean-bred turf miler who won the Arturo Lyon Pena (G1) and Julio Subercaseaux Browne (G3) in her home country. She, in turn, is a daughter of Scat Daddy, winner of the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby (G1) and one-mile Champagne (G1).

The progeny of Scat Daddy have compiled an average winning distance of 7.2 furlongs. They’ve enjoyed success over a vast variety of distances and surfaces. Name any common race configuration and a son or daughter of Scat Daddy probably won a major race over those conditions.

As a result, it’s difficult to pin down Scat Daddy as a source of speed or stamina—he can be either. But there’s certainly potential for Scat Daddy to pass on the genetics for Triple Crown success; indeed, his son Justify won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont to sweep the 2018 Triple Crown.

The versatility of Scat Daddy remains apparent in his record as a broodmare sire. His daughters have foaled runners with talents as wide-ranging as Whitmore, a champion male sprinter who starred in dirt sprints; Burnham Square, a dirt router who won the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass (G1) before participating in this year’s Kentucky Derby; and Curren Bouqted’or, a Japanese turf runner who placed four times at the Group 1 level over distances from 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) to 3,200 meters (about two miles).

All told, there’s enough stamina in the pedigree of Heart of Honor to suggest racing 1 3/16 miles on dirt is a reasonable goal.

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