Distorted Humor (USA)
March 19, 1993 – Living
Forty Niner (USA) x Danzig's Beauty (USA), by Danzig (USA)
Family 9-f
March 19, 1993 – Living
Forty Niner (USA) x Danzig's Beauty (USA), by Danzig (USA)
Family 9-f
A multiple Grade 2 winner over 7 furlongs, Distorted Humor had more staying power than the label “sprinter” usually implies, as he was a Grade 3 winner and Grade 1-placed over a mile and Grade 2-placed at 9 furlongs. At stud, he has proven to be one of the best sons of Forty Niner, getting effective runners all over the American distance spectrum.
Race record
23 starts, 8 wins, 5 seconds, 3 thirds, US$769,964
1996:
1997:
1998:
As an individual
A well-balanced, muscular chestnut with short cannons, deep shoulders, powerful hindquarters and the strong, straight hind leg typical of the Mr. Prospector tribe, Distorted Humor was officially advertised at 15.3 hands earlier in his stud career but appeared smaller when seen in person. He is a masculine individual with marked presence but is professional and easy to handle. He can be faulted for somewhat long pasterns. As a racehorse, he had a long, efficient stride. He did not race as a juvenile due to persistent problems with bucked shins.
As a stallion
According to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club, Distorted Humor has sired 171 stakes winners as of January 22, 2024. He has done particularly well with mares returning strains of the great matron La Troienne through Seattle Slew and Buckpasser. He tends to throw to the distance proclivities of his mates, and his offspring often improve as they mature.
Sire rankings
Per Arion Pedigrees (www.arion.co.nz):
Per The Blood-Horse:
Notable progeny
Aesop's Fables (USA), Any Given Saturday (USA), Awesome Humor (USA), Bit of Whimsy (USA), Boisterous (USA), Commentator (USA), Cursory Glance (USA), Don Dandy (USA), Drosselmeyer (USA), Fast Flying (AUS), Flower Alley (USA), Fourty Niners Son (USA), Funny Cide (USA), Hillaby (CAN), Hystericalady (USA), Jimmy Creed (USA), Joker Mine (AUS), Joking (USA), Pathfork (USA), Regal Ransom (USA), Restless Rider (USA), Rinky Dink (AUS), Santin (USA), Some Are Bent (AUS)
Notable progeny of daughters
Arabian Lion (USA), Arrogate (USA), Art Collector (USA), Catch the Cocktail (ARG), Citizen Bull (USA), Constitution (USA), Desert Ride (CAN), Elate (USA), Emotion Orpen (ARG), Golden Sixty (AUS), Guarana (USA), Life Is Good (USA), New Money Honey (USA), Practical Joke (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Distorted Humor was bred by Charles Nuckols, Jr., & Sons. He was owned by Russell L. Reineman Stable. Initially trained by Phil Gleaves, he moved to the barn of Elliott Walden after Prestonwood Farm (which later became WinStar Farm) acquired a half interest in the horse in spring 1996. Distorted Humor entered stud in 1999 at WinStar Farm as the property of a syndicate. Darley acquired a number of shares in the stallion in 2007, but Distorted Humor remains at WinStar, where his pensioning was announced on October 18, 2021.
Pedigree notes
Distorted Humor is inbred 4x5 to two-time American Horse of the Year Native Dancer. He is a half brother to Grade 2-placed listed stakes winner Dancing Gulch (by Gulch). He is also a half brother to Danzig's Dreamer (by Rubiano), dam of 2010 Cicada Stakes (USA-G3) winner Liam's Dream (by Saint Liam), and to Lady of Beauty (by Coronado's Quest), dam of Irish listed stakes winner Blue Uluru (by Choisir). In addition, Distorted Humor is a half brother to Danzig's Humor (by Lemon Drop Kid), dam of Venezuelan stakes winners One Way (by Take Charge Indy) and Freely (by Vacation).
Distorted Humor's dam Danzig's Beauty won the 1989 Gardenia Stakes (USA-G2) and is a half sister to Chanting Sweetly (by Alysheba), dam of stakes winner Aly's Vow (by Broken Vow; dam of Grade G3-placed stakes winner Promise Me More, by More Than Ready). Danzig's Beauty, in turn, is out of multiple Grade 2 winner Sweetest Chant (by Mr. Leader), whose full sister Leading Rhyme is the second dam of Grade 2 winner Seaside Retreat. Sweetest Chant is also a half sister to stakes-placed Lisieux (by Steady Growth), dam of 2011 First Lady Stakes (USA-G1) winner Never Retreat (by Smart Strike), and to Special Charm (by Verbatim), dam of Grade 2 winner Cassaleria (by Pretense).
Sweetest Chant and her siblings were produced from the winning Sailor mare Gay Sonnet, a full sister to 1967 Pucker Up Handicap winner Gay Sailorette. Gay Sonnet is also a half sister to stakes-placed Let's Be Gay (by Bagdad), dam of Grade 3 winner Private Thoughts (by Pretense; the all-time leading sire in Michigan).
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photo taken by Jessica Morgan at WinStar Farm in 2016, Used by permission.
Last updated: October 6, 2024
Race record
23 starts, 8 wins, 5 seconds, 3 thirds, US$769,964
1996:
- Won Screen King Stakes (USA-L, 6FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Fayette Stakes (USA-G2, 9FD, Keeneland)
- 2nd Jerome Handicap (USA-G2, 8FD, Belmont)
- 3rd King's Bishop Stakes (USA-G2, 7FD, Saratoga)
1997:
- Won Salvator Mile Handicap (USA-G3, 8FD, Monmouth)
- 2nd Kentucky Cup Classic Handicap (USA-G3, 9FD, Turfway Park)
- 3rd Philip H. Iselin Handicap (USA-G2, 8.5FD, Monmouth)
1998:
- Won Commonwealth Breeders' Cup Stakes (USA-G2, 7FD, Keeneland)
- Won Churchill Downs Handicap (USA-G2, 7FD, Churchill Downs; new track record 1:21.18)
- Won Ack Ack Handicap (USA-G3, 7.5FD, Churchill Downs)
- 3rd Cigar Mile Handicap (USA-G1, 8FD, Aqueduct)
As an individual
A well-balanced, muscular chestnut with short cannons, deep shoulders, powerful hindquarters and the strong, straight hind leg typical of the Mr. Prospector tribe, Distorted Humor was officially advertised at 15.3 hands earlier in his stud career but appeared smaller when seen in person. He is a masculine individual with marked presence but is professional and easy to handle. He can be faulted for somewhat long pasterns. As a racehorse, he had a long, efficient stride. He did not race as a juvenile due to persistent problems with bucked shins.
As a stallion
According to statistics compiled by The Jockey Club, Distorted Humor has sired 171 stakes winners as of January 22, 2024. He has done particularly well with mares returning strains of the great matron La Troienne through Seattle Slew and Buckpasser. He tends to throw to the distance proclivities of his mates, and his offspring often improve as they mature.
Sire rankings
Per Arion Pedigrees (www.arion.co.nz):
- Led the North American general sire list in 2011; 2nd in 2010.
- Led the North American broodmare sire list in 2017 and 2021; 2nd in 2016; 3rd in 2019; 4th in 2018, 2022, and 2023; 7th in 2014 and 2020; 8th in 2015.
Per The Blood-Horse:
- Led the American general sire list in 2011; 2nd in 2005, 2009, and 2010; 3rd in 2007; 4th in 2008; 6th in 2006; 8th in 2012.
- Led the American broodmare sire list in 2017; 4th in 2016; 5th in 2018, 2021, and 2022; 7th in 2018; 8th in 2020 and 2023.
- Led the American freshman sire list in 2002.
Notable progeny
Aesop's Fables (USA), Any Given Saturday (USA), Awesome Humor (USA), Bit of Whimsy (USA), Boisterous (USA), Commentator (USA), Cursory Glance (USA), Don Dandy (USA), Drosselmeyer (USA), Fast Flying (AUS), Flower Alley (USA), Fourty Niners Son (USA), Funny Cide (USA), Hillaby (CAN), Hystericalady (USA), Jimmy Creed (USA), Joker Mine (AUS), Joking (USA), Pathfork (USA), Regal Ransom (USA), Restless Rider (USA), Rinky Dink (AUS), Santin (USA), Some Are Bent (AUS)
Notable progeny of daughters
Arabian Lion (USA), Arrogate (USA), Art Collector (USA), Catch the Cocktail (ARG), Citizen Bull (USA), Constitution (USA), Desert Ride (CAN), Elate (USA), Emotion Orpen (ARG), Golden Sixty (AUS), Guarana (USA), Life Is Good (USA), New Money Honey (USA), Practical Joke (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Distorted Humor was bred by Charles Nuckols, Jr., & Sons. He was owned by Russell L. Reineman Stable. Initially trained by Phil Gleaves, he moved to the barn of Elliott Walden after Prestonwood Farm (which later became WinStar Farm) acquired a half interest in the horse in spring 1996. Distorted Humor entered stud in 1999 at WinStar Farm as the property of a syndicate. Darley acquired a number of shares in the stallion in 2007, but Distorted Humor remains at WinStar, where his pensioning was announced on October 18, 2021.
Pedigree notes
Distorted Humor is inbred 4x5 to two-time American Horse of the Year Native Dancer. He is a half brother to Grade 2-placed listed stakes winner Dancing Gulch (by Gulch). He is also a half brother to Danzig's Dreamer (by Rubiano), dam of 2010 Cicada Stakes (USA-G3) winner Liam's Dream (by Saint Liam), and to Lady of Beauty (by Coronado's Quest), dam of Irish listed stakes winner Blue Uluru (by Choisir). In addition, Distorted Humor is a half brother to Danzig's Humor (by Lemon Drop Kid), dam of Venezuelan stakes winners One Way (by Take Charge Indy) and Freely (by Vacation).
Distorted Humor's dam Danzig's Beauty won the 1989 Gardenia Stakes (USA-G2) and is a half sister to Chanting Sweetly (by Alysheba), dam of stakes winner Aly's Vow (by Broken Vow; dam of Grade G3-placed stakes winner Promise Me More, by More Than Ready). Danzig's Beauty, in turn, is out of multiple Grade 2 winner Sweetest Chant (by Mr. Leader), whose full sister Leading Rhyme is the second dam of Grade 2 winner Seaside Retreat. Sweetest Chant is also a half sister to stakes-placed Lisieux (by Steady Growth), dam of 2011 First Lady Stakes (USA-G1) winner Never Retreat (by Smart Strike), and to Special Charm (by Verbatim), dam of Grade 2 winner Cassaleria (by Pretense).
Sweetest Chant and her siblings were produced from the winning Sailor mare Gay Sonnet, a full sister to 1967 Pucker Up Handicap winner Gay Sailorette. Gay Sonnet is also a half sister to stakes-placed Let's Be Gay (by Bagdad), dam of Grade 3 winner Private Thoughts (by Pretense; the all-time leading sire in Michigan).
Fun facts
- Elusive Quality actually finished out 2002 with first-crop progeny earnings of US$1,316,848 to Distorted Humor's US$1,301,950, but the freshman sire standings were revised after The Jockey Club in England officially disqualified Elusive Quality's son Elusive City from two victories as a 2-year-old of 2002 on January 15, 2003. The disqualifications, which were due to the presence of a banned substance, and the consequent loss of purse money dropped Elusive Quality to third on the 2002 American freshman sire list behind Distorted Humor and Awesome Again.
- Distorted Humor stood his first four season at stud at a relatively modest US$12,500. At the peak of his stud career, his services commanded US$150,000.
- WinStar Farm has a life-sized statue of Distorted Humor outside the stallion barn and a portrait of him by Julie Wear in its offices.
- Distorted Humor's first winner was Awesome Humor, who took a Keeneland maiden special weight on April 11, 2002. She was also his first stakes winner and his first Grade 1 winner.
- Distorted Humor joined the “Century Club” of stallions that have sired 100 or more stakes winners when his daughter Savvy Supreme, a full sister to two-time Whitney Handicap (USA-G1) winner Commentator, won the Classy Mirage Stakes on May 18, 2011.
Photo credit
Photo taken by Jessica Morgan at WinStar Farm in 2016, Used by permission.
Last updated: October 6, 2024