Since its inauguration in 1940, the Peter Pan Handicap (USA-G3) has served as a spot for later-maturing colts seeking a springboard to the Belmont Stakes (USA-G1). Six colts have won the Belmont Stakes after taking the Peter Pan, most recently Tonalist in 2014, and on May 14, another colt put in his bid to become the seventh. His name is We the People, and the son of multiple Grade 1 winner Constitution made his name known in a big way when he romped in the 9-furlong test by 10¼ lengths over a sloppy, sealed track.
Sired by Tapit, who has three Belmont Stakes winners to his credit, Constitution took both his top-level wins over 9 furlongs and has sired two winners of the El Ensayo (CHI-G1), Chile’s oldest Classic race, which is contested over 2400 meters (about 1½ miles). He is also the sire of 2020 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets winner Tiz the Law, who is bred on the same Constitution/Tiznow cross as We the People. Although the Belmont was contested at only 9 furlongs in 2020 due to issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Tiz the Law also won the Runhappy Travers Stakes at 1¼ miles and showed no signs that 10 furlongs represented the limit of his tether.
If there is any question regarding We the People’s ability to get the Belmont trip, it comes from the distaff half of his pedigree. He is a great-grandson of Win Crafty Lady, a daughter of Crafty Prospector who was a good sprinter and has been building up a nice family over the last few decades.
Crafty Prospector (by Mr. Prospector out of Real Crafty Lady, by In Reality) actually appeared to stay fairly well, losing the 1983 Gulfstream Park Handicap (USA-G1) over 10 furlongs by just a neck to the top staying filly Christmas Past. As a sire, however, he tended to throw the speed suggested by his immediate pedigree. Win Crafty Lady was fairly typical of his progeny. A three-time stakes winner, she took down her biggest score at a shade better than 27-1 odds in the 1993 Interborough Breeders’ Cup Handicap (USA-G3) over 6 furlongs. Her defeated rivals included multiple Grade 1 winner Quick Mischief and multiple graded stakes winner Wood So, underscoring the quality of her performance.
As a graded stakes-winning half sister to the multiple graded stakes-winning sprinter Diligence (by Miswaki), Win Crafty Lady had good though not stellar credentials as a broodmare prospect. That said, she was a better producer than either her race record or her pedigree suggested she would be. The best of her runners was 2003 Ballerina Handicap (USA-G1) winner Harmony Lodge (by Hennessy), and she also produced multiple Grade 2 winner Graeme Hall (by Dehere), 2006 Floral Park Handicap (USA-G3) winner Win McCool (by Giant’s Causeway), and multiple stakes winner Win’s Fair Lady (by Dehere). The last-named mare is the dam of 2009 Azalea Stakes (USA-G3) winner First Passage (by Giant’s Causeway), in turn the dam of 2018 Molly Pitcher Stakes (USA-G3) winner Berned (by Bernardini), and Win’s Fair Lady is also the second dam of 2021 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity (USA-G1) winner Pinehurst (by Twirling Candy).
Win McCool did her bit to add to the family honor by becoming the second dam of 2018 Arkansas Derby (USA-G1) winner Magnum Moon (by Malibu Moon), and Win Crafty Lady is also the dam of Perfect Chance (by Unbridled’s Song), dam of Japanese listed stakes winner Wild Card (by Street Sense). In addition, she is the dam of Lorelei K. (by Storm Cat), dam of 2019 San Vicente Stakes (USA-G2) winner Sparky Ville (by Candy Ride).
After scoring her big win over 7 furlongs, Harmony Lodge probably did not surprise anyone when she produced 2011 Shakertown Stakes (USA-G3) winner Stratford Hill to a cover by A.P. Indy, who sired a number of surprisingly speedy types in spite of his own undoubted stamina. To a mating with Declaration of War, Harmony Lodge has also produced 2019 Toronto Cup Stakes winner Armistice Day. We the People is a son of Harmony Lodge’s daughter Letchworth, whose distance capacity is unknown as she never raced.
While members of Win Crafty Lady’s family have won good races at up to 9 furlongs, she has yet to number a real distance horse among her descendants—though in fairness, this could be said of many good American families, in part because of the paucity of races over 10 furlongs or more on dirt in American racing at any but the highest levels. Having two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Tiznow as his maternal grandsire is certainly a plus for We the People when it comes to getting a distance, but it is an irony of American racing that, with the Belmont being such an outlier for distance, the tactical speed the colt seems likely to have inherited from his dam’s side may be just as important in securing position and settling into a high-paced cruise, qualities that separate winners from losers in the Belmont quite as often as raw stamina does.
Sired by Tapit, who has three Belmont Stakes winners to his credit, Constitution took both his top-level wins over 9 furlongs and has sired two winners of the El Ensayo (CHI-G1), Chile’s oldest Classic race, which is contested over 2400 meters (about 1½ miles). He is also the sire of 2020 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets winner Tiz the Law, who is bred on the same Constitution/Tiznow cross as We the People. Although the Belmont was contested at only 9 furlongs in 2020 due to issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Tiz the Law also won the Runhappy Travers Stakes at 1¼ miles and showed no signs that 10 furlongs represented the limit of his tether.
If there is any question regarding We the People’s ability to get the Belmont trip, it comes from the distaff half of his pedigree. He is a great-grandson of Win Crafty Lady, a daughter of Crafty Prospector who was a good sprinter and has been building up a nice family over the last few decades.
Crafty Prospector (by Mr. Prospector out of Real Crafty Lady, by In Reality) actually appeared to stay fairly well, losing the 1983 Gulfstream Park Handicap (USA-G1) over 10 furlongs by just a neck to the top staying filly Christmas Past. As a sire, however, he tended to throw the speed suggested by his immediate pedigree. Win Crafty Lady was fairly typical of his progeny. A three-time stakes winner, she took down her biggest score at a shade better than 27-1 odds in the 1993 Interborough Breeders’ Cup Handicap (USA-G3) over 6 furlongs. Her defeated rivals included multiple Grade 1 winner Quick Mischief and multiple graded stakes winner Wood So, underscoring the quality of her performance.
As a graded stakes-winning half sister to the multiple graded stakes-winning sprinter Diligence (by Miswaki), Win Crafty Lady had good though not stellar credentials as a broodmare prospect. That said, she was a better producer than either her race record or her pedigree suggested she would be. The best of her runners was 2003 Ballerina Handicap (USA-G1) winner Harmony Lodge (by Hennessy), and she also produced multiple Grade 2 winner Graeme Hall (by Dehere), 2006 Floral Park Handicap (USA-G3) winner Win McCool (by Giant’s Causeway), and multiple stakes winner Win’s Fair Lady (by Dehere). The last-named mare is the dam of 2009 Azalea Stakes (USA-G3) winner First Passage (by Giant’s Causeway), in turn the dam of 2018 Molly Pitcher Stakes (USA-G3) winner Berned (by Bernardini), and Win’s Fair Lady is also the second dam of 2021 Runhappy Del Mar Futurity (USA-G1) winner Pinehurst (by Twirling Candy).
Win McCool did her bit to add to the family honor by becoming the second dam of 2018 Arkansas Derby (USA-G1) winner Magnum Moon (by Malibu Moon), and Win Crafty Lady is also the dam of Perfect Chance (by Unbridled’s Song), dam of Japanese listed stakes winner Wild Card (by Street Sense). In addition, she is the dam of Lorelei K. (by Storm Cat), dam of 2019 San Vicente Stakes (USA-G2) winner Sparky Ville (by Candy Ride).
After scoring her big win over 7 furlongs, Harmony Lodge probably did not surprise anyone when she produced 2011 Shakertown Stakes (USA-G3) winner Stratford Hill to a cover by A.P. Indy, who sired a number of surprisingly speedy types in spite of his own undoubted stamina. To a mating with Declaration of War, Harmony Lodge has also produced 2019 Toronto Cup Stakes winner Armistice Day. We the People is a son of Harmony Lodge’s daughter Letchworth, whose distance capacity is unknown as she never raced.
While members of Win Crafty Lady’s family have won good races at up to 9 furlongs, she has yet to number a real distance horse among her descendants—though in fairness, this could be said of many good American families, in part because of the paucity of races over 10 furlongs or more on dirt in American racing at any but the highest levels. Having two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Tiznow as his maternal grandsire is certainly a plus for We the People when it comes to getting a distance, but it is an irony of American racing that, with the Belmont being such an outlier for distance, the tactical speed the colt seems likely to have inherited from his dam’s side may be just as important in securing position and settling into a high-paced cruise, qualities that separate winners from losers in the Belmont quite as often as raw stamina does.
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