Zedan Racing Stables’ Medina Spirit fought back after relinquishing the lead to Mandaloun at midstretch to post a half-length to win the 147th running of the $3 million Gr1 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve before a crowd of 51 838 at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
The victory gave trainer Bob Baffert his record seventh Kentucky Derby victory and rider John Velazquez his fourth.
When Medina Spirit won the Gr1 Kentucky Derby, he became the first male line descendant of Giant’s Causeway to win the ‘Run For The Roses’.
He is, however, the third Storm Cat line colt to win the Kentucky Derby in the past four years following Justify and Authentic.
The colt, who had won the Ge3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (a race also won by Cape sire Royal Mo) earlier in the year, hails from the first crop of Giant’s Causeway horse Protonico. The latter, whose first crop includes just seven runners to date, captured four graded wins during his career which saw Protonico win seven of his 16 starts and earn just under $1 000 000.
Protonico scored his biggest win in the 2015 Gr2 Alysheba Stakes, where the son of Giant’s Causeway accounted for the likes of Noble Bird (Gr1 Stephen Foster Handicap) and champion Honor Code.
Watch the race replay – click below:
Medina Spirit is his sire’s only stakes winner to date, with Protonico’s first crop numbering just 19 foals in total.
Out of the twice raced A.P. Indy mare Alpha Spirit, Protonico was bred on the same Giant’s Causeway/A.P. Indy cross as Gr1 Man O’ War Stakes winner, Imagining.
He is not the only son of Giant’s Causeway showing promise as a sire, with Protonico’s paternal half-brother Not This Time currently North America’s second Leading-Second Crop Sire by stakes and another son of Giant’s Causeway, dual Gr1 winner Brody’s Cause, 11th on the same list.
Giant’s Causeway (photo: Coolmore)
Giant’s Causeway, broodmare sire of Friday’s Gr1 Kentucky Oaks third Will’s Secret (Will Take Charge), is also broodmare sire of 2012 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches winner Beauty Parlour – whose daughter Blowout (Dansili) captured Saturday’s Gr2 Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes, with Blowout having finished a close second in last year’s Gr1 Matriarch Stakes.
Nicknamed ‘The Iron Horse’ due to his remarkable will to win, Giant’s Causeway also made his presence felt at Newmarket on Saturday.
His Gr1 Phoenix Stakes winning great grandson Lucky Vega ran third in Saturday’s Gr1 Qipco 2000 Guineas – a race Giant’s Causeway ran second in – while confirming himself among the leaders of his generation.
Lucky Vega’s dual French classic winning sire Lope De Vega had another excellent few days, with the son of Shamardal also responsible for Saturday’s Gr2 Prix du Muguet winner Duhail.
Lope De Vega, whose Southern Hemisphere runners include the Gr1 winners Gytrash, Santa Ana Lane and Vega Magic, also made his mark in Australia over the weekend when his son Archedemus captured Saturday’s Gr3 Evergreen Turf Hawkesbury Gold Cup.
A triple champion sire in North America, Giant’s Causeway, whose close relative Gleneagles is the sire of Saturday’s Gr2 Prix Greffulhe winner Baby Rider, made his mark in more than one hemisphere on Saturday. Another close relative of Giant’s Causeway, Decorated Knight, got off the mark when his first runner in Britain won on Sunday.
His greatest sire son Shamardal is broodmare sire of Saturday’s Gr2 Queensland Guineas winner Private Eye (Al Maher), while former South African champion Soft Falling Rain (who was produced by the Giant’s Causeway mare Gardener’s Delight) supplied Saturday’s Gr2 4Racing SA Fillies Nursery victress, Heavens Girl.
Giant’s Causeway, whose daughters are also responsible for 2017 US Horse Of The Year Gun Runner – whose first crop have set the sales ring alight – and Gr1 Met winning sire One World (Captain Al), also continues to make his mark as a broodmare sire.
The deceased champion, damsire of over 100 black type winners, is currently third on North America’s Leading Broodmare Sires list for 2021, with his flagbearer being Gr1 Dubai Turf victor Lord North (Dubawi).
Giant’s Causeway is also broodmare sire of Higuita (Orb), who made an impressive winning debut over the weekend.
