After a less than ideal trip in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (USA-G1), the jury is still out as to how Gormley stacks up against the best of his crop. Nonetheless, the Sham Stakes (USA-G3) proved that the colt is second to none when it comes to heart and determination as he bested the talented American Anthem in a prolonged stretch battle. With a good early-season sharpener under his belt, he is now in an excellent position to stretch out step by step with regard to both distance and quality of competition as he proceeds down the road to Churchill Downs.
Added distance, at least, should be no problem. A son of Malibu Moon (already the sire of Kentucky Derby winner Orb), Gormley hails from the family of 1986 American champion turf female Estrapade, who remains the only filly or mare to win the 10-furlong Arlington Million (USA-G1). A mare of fine natural speed, Estrapade also had a brilliant turn of foot and used it to perfection in the Million, in which she cut inside rivals and then spurted away to win laughing. She followed up by winning the 12-furlong Oak Tree Invitational (USA-G1) over Theatrical before running third behind Manila and Theatrical in an excellent edition of the Breeders' Cup Turf (USA-G1).
Estrapade's only stakes winner from six foals was the gelding Rice (by Blushing John), who won the Meadowlands Endurance Handicap as a 6-year-old. As Estrapade herself hit her best stride at 6, this suggests a late-maturing tendency which was probably reinforced by a mating to the staying Nijinsky II grandson Strawberry Road. The resulting filly, Troika, won four of eight starts at 3 and 4 with an average winning distance of 9.25 furlongs before producing Miss Mambo (by Kingmambo), who showed she had inherited some of her sire's miler speed with a third-place finish in the 2004 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas, FR-G1). Miss Mambo, in turn, produced the two-turn stakes winner Race to Urga (the dam of Gormley) via a mating to the speedy Storm Cat horse Bernstein.
Both Bernstein and Kingmambo were able to to contribute speed to more stamina-oriented mates without sacrificing staying ability, and Gormley in fact has a pedigree that is well balanced between speed and stamina elements. The main question regarding his future may be not his distance capacity but his best surface, as there is plenty of "turfiness" on the distaff side of his pedigree. So long as he keeps turning in performances like Saturday's, however, look for him to stay on dirt and on the Triple Crown trail.
Added distance, at least, should be no problem. A son of Malibu Moon (already the sire of Kentucky Derby winner Orb), Gormley hails from the family of 1986 American champion turf female Estrapade, who remains the only filly or mare to win the 10-furlong Arlington Million (USA-G1). A mare of fine natural speed, Estrapade also had a brilliant turn of foot and used it to perfection in the Million, in which she cut inside rivals and then spurted away to win laughing. She followed up by winning the 12-furlong Oak Tree Invitational (USA-G1) over Theatrical before running third behind Manila and Theatrical in an excellent edition of the Breeders' Cup Turf (USA-G1).
Estrapade's only stakes winner from six foals was the gelding Rice (by Blushing John), who won the Meadowlands Endurance Handicap as a 6-year-old. As Estrapade herself hit her best stride at 6, this suggests a late-maturing tendency which was probably reinforced by a mating to the staying Nijinsky II grandson Strawberry Road. The resulting filly, Troika, won four of eight starts at 3 and 4 with an average winning distance of 9.25 furlongs before producing Miss Mambo (by Kingmambo), who showed she had inherited some of her sire's miler speed with a third-place finish in the 2004 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas, FR-G1). Miss Mambo, in turn, produced the two-turn stakes winner Race to Urga (the dam of Gormley) via a mating to the speedy Storm Cat horse Bernstein.
Both Bernstein and Kingmambo were able to to contribute speed to more stamina-oriented mates without sacrificing staying ability, and Gormley in fact has a pedigree that is well balanced between speed and stamina elements. The main question regarding his future may be not his distance capacity but his best surface, as there is plenty of "turfiness" on the distaff side of his pedigree. So long as he keeps turning in performances like Saturday's, however, look for him to stay on dirt and on the Triple Crown trail.
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