In the spring of the year, a Thoroughbred colt's reputation can shoot up with the speed of a dot.com launch in the late 1990s, or crash even faster. This year's Risen Star Stakes (USA-G2) illustrated the point beautifully. As graded stakes winners Guest Suite and Mo Town failed to look like winners at any point, Girvin angled out from the rail at the top of the stretch and used a sharp burst of speed to seize the lead, the race, and the top of the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
How long he will stay there is anyone's guess, as is how far he will stay. Sired by 2008 Wood Memorial (USA-G1) winner Take of Ekati from the Malibu Moon mare Catch the Moon (also the dam of 2015 Iroquois Stakes, USA-G3, winner Cocked and Loaded, by Colonel John), he could be anything from a miler to a true classic horse depending on which of the mix of influences in his pedigree proves dominant.
Girvin illustrates the rapidity with which Mr. Prospector's influence has spread in the American Thoroughbred population, as he is inbred 4x5x4x5 to Claiborne Farm's great sire, as well as 5x5 to Secretariat. He also has a pedigree angle guaranteed to intrigue Louisiana fans, as his second dam, the speedy Yes It's True mare Catch My Fancy, is inbred 3x2 to Monique Rene. The queen of Louisiana racing in the early 1980s, Monique Rene won 15 stakes races at Louisiana tracks, mostly over sprint distances, and compiled an overall record of 29 wins and eight placings from 45 starts.
The next outing for Girvin is likely to be the Louisiana Derby (USA-G2), a race that hasn't really been inspiring as a source of Kentucky Derby winners. No horse has pulled off the Louisiana Derby--Kentucky Derby double since Grindstone in 1996, though last year's winner, Gun Runner, ran a solid third at Louisville. Still, a good horse can come from anywhere, and a solid win in the final leg of the Fair Grounds' series of Derby preps would mark Girvin as a legitimate contender for the roses.
How long he will stay there is anyone's guess, as is how far he will stay. Sired by 2008 Wood Memorial (USA-G1) winner Take of Ekati from the Malibu Moon mare Catch the Moon (also the dam of 2015 Iroquois Stakes, USA-G3, winner Cocked and Loaded, by Colonel John), he could be anything from a miler to a true classic horse depending on which of the mix of influences in his pedigree proves dominant.
Girvin illustrates the rapidity with which Mr. Prospector's influence has spread in the American Thoroughbred population, as he is inbred 4x5x4x5 to Claiborne Farm's great sire, as well as 5x5 to Secretariat. He also has a pedigree angle guaranteed to intrigue Louisiana fans, as his second dam, the speedy Yes It's True mare Catch My Fancy, is inbred 3x2 to Monique Rene. The queen of Louisiana racing in the early 1980s, Monique Rene won 15 stakes races at Louisiana tracks, mostly over sprint distances, and compiled an overall record of 29 wins and eight placings from 45 starts.
The next outing for Girvin is likely to be the Louisiana Derby (USA-G2), a race that hasn't really been inspiring as a source of Kentucky Derby winners. No horse has pulled off the Louisiana Derby--Kentucky Derby double since Grindstone in 1996, though last year's winner, Gun Runner, ran a solid third at Louisville. Still, a good horse can come from anywhere, and a solid win in the final leg of the Fair Grounds' series of Derby preps would mark Girvin as a legitimate contender for the roses.
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