McCraken's win in last fall's Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (USA-G2) keeps looking better and better. Last weekend, KJCS fourth Uncontested used his front-running speed to overwhelm his rivals in the Smarty Jones Stakes. This week, another of the KJCS field, third-place Guest Suite, emulated Uncontested by getting his first stakes win, this in the Lecomte Stakes (USA-G3). While the margin was only a length, the gelding was clearly much the best and was geared down at the wire.
Whatever the reason why Guest Suite was gelded, it certainly wasn't based on his pedigree. A son of four-time Grade I winner Quality Road, the leading American third-crop sire of 2016, Guest Suite is a scion of one of the best families in the American Stud Book. He is a great-grandson of 1992 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise (by Secretariat), whose four stakes winners include 1992 American Horse of the Year and two-time American champion sire A.P. Indy (by Seattle Slew) and 1990 Preakness Stakes winner Summer Squall (by Storm Bird).
Welcome Surprise, Weekend Surprise's 1997 daughter by Seeking the Gold, was not quite as talented as her half brothers but still had enough ability to be a graded stakes winner, capturing the 2000 Dogwood Stakes (USA-III). Bred to 2004 American Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, she produced the winner Guest House, who produced Guest Suite as her second foal.
With this kind of genetic background, it is hardly surprising that Guest Suite should have turned out a nice horse. Whether he is more than that remains to be seen, as he needs to show that he can continue improving his form over dry tracks (the Lecomte was run on a muddy sealed track) and against better rivals. Nonetheless, if he runs into a roadblock on the way to the Kentucky Derby---Presented by Yum! Brands (USA-G1), it seems safe to say that it won't be his breeding that stops him.
Whatever the reason why Guest Suite was gelded, it certainly wasn't based on his pedigree. A son of four-time Grade I winner Quality Road, the leading American third-crop sire of 2016, Guest Suite is a scion of one of the best families in the American Stud Book. He is a great-grandson of 1992 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise (by Secretariat), whose four stakes winners include 1992 American Horse of the Year and two-time American champion sire A.P. Indy (by Seattle Slew) and 1990 Preakness Stakes winner Summer Squall (by Storm Bird).
Welcome Surprise, Weekend Surprise's 1997 daughter by Seeking the Gold, was not quite as talented as her half brothers but still had enough ability to be a graded stakes winner, capturing the 2000 Dogwood Stakes (USA-III). Bred to 2004 American Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, she produced the winner Guest House, who produced Guest Suite as her second foal.
With this kind of genetic background, it is hardly surprising that Guest Suite should have turned out a nice horse. Whether he is more than that remains to be seen, as he needs to show that he can continue improving his form over dry tracks (the Lecomte was run on a muddy sealed track) and against better rivals. Nonetheless, if he runs into a roadblock on the way to the Kentucky Derby---Presented by Yum! Brands (USA-G1), it seems safe to say that it won't be his breeding that stops him.
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