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Program # 1 |
Post Position:  |
Photo By: Beth Keiser |
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Recent Developments |
Trainer Aidan O'Brien's initial Kentucky Derby (GI) entrants left Churchill Downs before 7 o'clock Sunday (May 5) morning for an eight-hour flight back to Ireland.
Traveling head lad Patrick Keating said the two came out of the race healthy and sound and ate up last night.
Keating said he talked with O'Brien this morning and said the conditioner offered no comment on Saturday's (May 4) race, noting O'Brien was happy to hear of the colts' condition.
As for the race itself, Keating said he never saw it.
"I was trying to get to the big screen to watch it, but it wasn't working," Keating said.
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As A 3-Year Old |
Finished eighth, beaten 13 lengths by War Emblem, in Kentucky Derby 128
Finished second, beaten a short head, by the 4-year-old filly Rebelline in the seven furlong (turf) Gladness Stakes (Gr.III) at The Curragh on April 7
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As A 2-Year Old |
Went 7-for-7 and earned $1,004,758
Won 4 Group or Grade One races in 4 different countries
Was named Champion 2-year-old colt in the U.S. and Europe |
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Derby Starter Analysis By: Steve Fugitte |
Call him Gary Hart because he was in and out of the race about 15 times this Spring. Team Ballydoyle liked his prep much more than the public and made the final decision to bring him - though they ship in extremely late as is their style. BC Juvenile hero was flown to Lexington, KY and will clear quarantine and bed down there until time to ship up on Derby Day. Those plans would concern me if Aidan O'Brien hadn't won most of the other major races in the world using similar ship in tactics. Current word on his rider is that it will be Gary Stevens or Jerry Bailey - with Stevens being more likely if Sunday Break does not get in. Main concern is his pedigree as a son of Hennessy - who doesn't figure to want any part of 10 panels. Also think he gets bet by the International contingent and those who were won over BC day. Willing to play against this horse knowing that he is easily best at 7-9 furlongs. |
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Pedigree Anlysis By: John Gaver III |
Dosage Index: 3.67; Born Feb. 23, 1999
The big knock against the otherwise impeccable credentials of Johannesburg is his sprint-oriented pedigree, as he is by the young Storm Cat sire Hennessy out of the Ogygian mare Myth. Hennessy was a precocious colt that won the Hopeful Stakes (GI) at Saratoga as a juvenile and Ogygian was a crack sprinter that tends to reproduce sprint speed in his offspring.
From three crops to date Hennessy has the following stakes winners, excluding Johannesburg: Distilled, winner of the Illinois Derby (GII); Coolmore Lexington Stakes (GII) winner Keats; Palm Beach Stakes (GIII, turf) winner Orchard Park and Handsome Hunk.
Johannesburg is the second foal from Myth who was a lackluster 1-for-16 on the racetrack but is a member of the blueblood Claiborne Farm broodmare band. Myth's dam, Yarn, is the dam of Minardi, champion 2-year-old colt in England, and Ireland and the ultra-quick Tale Of The Cat, winner of the King Bishop Stakes (GII) at Saratoga. This is also the Claiborne family that produced the precocious and brilliant runners Preach and Pulpit.
As a broodmare sire Ogygian has thrown Poqito Polly, dam of the graded stakes winner Fiesty Countess; Grand Falls, dam of the stakes winners Eltawaasul and Toroca; Grand Ogygia, dam of the juvenile stakes winner Grand Deed and Shadow Ram, dam of the juvenile stakes winner Lady Andromeda
While Johannesburg's pedigree is peppered with precocious sprint blood, he has the looks of a horse that is special enough to outrun his pedigree, evidenced by his eye-opening win in the Breeders' Cup, his first start on dirt and first outing beyond three quarters of a mile. Not to mention sires such as Mr. Prospector (see Fusaichi Pegasus) and Gulch (see Thunder Gulch) have gotten modern day Derby winners, so Hennessy (from the Northern Dancer line) shouldn't be that much of a stretch.
The following quote from trainer Aidan O'Brien, as told to The Blood-Horse after Johannesburg's win in the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (GI) on Oct. 27, 2001, adds further confidence that this colt will stay a route of ground. "You're never really sure how far they'll go, but he proved today he is a serious colt," O'Brien said. "He's a natural in everything he does. He has speed, and the way he travels is something beautiful."
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