Leading US sire, Distorted Humor, continues to make his mark in the world’s greatest races.
Cloud Computing and Classic Empire fight it out
He is broodmare sire of the world’s current top rated runner Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song),and his son, Maclean’s Music, produced a first crop classic winner when Cloud Computing scored a in Saturday’s Gr1 Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the US Triple Crown.
Cloud Computing, is bred on a similar cross to Gr1 Haskell Invitational winner, Any Given Saturday. While Cloud Computing is by a son of Distorted Humor out of a mare by A P Indy, Any Given Saturday is by Distorted Humor out of an A P Indy daughter.
Distorted Humor
Distorted Humor has long enjoyed success with Seattle Slew line mares, with other notable performers sired by him carrying the 1977 Triple Crown winner in their pedigrees including champion, Funny Cide, and Gr1 winners Drosselmeyer, Joking and millionaire, Alternation.
Maclean’s Music is bred on the reverse cross to Arrogate, being by Distorted Humor out of a mare by Unbridled’s Song.
He got off to a smart start last year with his first 2yos including 20 winners (from 40 starters) and ended 2016 as North America’s eighth leading first crop sire by prize money. To date he has been represented by five individual stakes winners, with Cloud Computing his first graded stakes winner.
The Hill ‘N Dale based sire, who won his only racetrack appearance and stood his first season at stud for $6,500, is the second son of Distorted Humor to have sired a Preakness Stakes winner, with Wilgerbosdrift based, Flower Alley (Distorted Humor) having sired 2012 Preakness victor I’ll Have Another.
Two Here
Distorted Humor is represented in South Africa by two Gr1 winning sons, the aforementioned Flower Alley as well as former National Stakes winner and Irish champion, Pathfork. It’s worth noting that both Pathfork and Flower Alley have Sadler’s Wells in their pedigrees.
Pathfork – a son of Distorted Humor
A consistently top class sire, (he headed North America’s sires list in 2011), Distorted Humor has 136 stakes winners to his credit, with 18 of his stakes winners having scored at Gr1 level.
Distorted Humor got off to a flying start at stud, with his first 2yos boasting five stakes winners, including G1 Spinaway Stakes winner Awesome Humor, and he was Leading First Crop Sire of 2002. Distorted Humor’s first crop included champion and dual classic winner, Funny Cide, and graded winners, Go Rockin’ Robin and Sensibly Chic.
Mr P
Cloud Computing’s win confirmed the stranglehold that the Mr Prospector male line has maintained on the Preakness Stakes. The 2017 winner is one of no fewer than 16 Preakness winners descended from Mr P to date.
While his male line has indeed exerted a remarkable influence over North America’s championship races, it is also worth noting that Cloud Computing traces back in female line to one of the truly great tap root mares in Alcibiades (Supremus).
Other notables descended from Alcibiades include Kentucky Oaks runner up, Pillow Talk (Mr Trouble), Gr1 winning 2yo, Secret Hello (Private Account), and former South African sire, Raise A Man (Raise A Native).
