Belmont Stakes 154: Where Did They Come From?

1) WE THE PEOPLE, c, Constitution–Letchworth, by Tiznow
Owner: WinStar Farm, Bobby Flay, CMNWLTH, Siena Farm
Breeder: Henley Farms (KY)
Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset
Sales History: $110,000 Keeneland November weanling, $220,000 Keeneland September yearling, $230,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream 2-year-old
Pedigree Notes: Trying to become the second Belmont winner in three years for WinStar's star fourth-crop sire (Tiz the Law in 2020), We the People is the second foal to race out of Letchworth, a $40,000 Keeneland January purchase by Henley Farms at Keeneland January in 2019. Letchworth is a daughter of Harmony Lodge (Hennessy), a five-time graded stakes winner whose crowning achievement came when capturing the 2003 GI Ballerina H. at Saratoga. The producer of GSW turf sprinter Stratford Hill (A.P. Indy) and SW/MGSP Armistice Day (Declaration of War), Harmony Lodge is herself a daughter of GSW Win Crafty Lady (Crafty Prospector), making her a half-sister to MGSW/GISP sire Graeme Hall (Dehere) and GSW Win McCool (Giant's Causeway). This is also the female family of last year's GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity winner Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) and ill-fated 2018 GI Arkansas Derby hero Magnum Moon (Malibu Moon). Letchworth has a 2-year-old Always Dreaming colt, who sold for $220,000 at OBS April, as well as a yearling colt by Audible.

2) SKIPPYLONGSTOCKING, c, Exaggerator–Twinkling, by War Chant
Owner: Daniel Alonso
Breeder: Brushy Hill, LLC (KY)
Trainer: Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.
Sales History: $15,000 KEESEP yearling turned $37,000 OBSAPR 2-year-old
Pedigree Notes: Dam Twinkling has quietly been making a name for herself as a broodmare with both foals to race becoming black-type earners from four total; half-sibling Moonlite Strike (Liam's Map) claiming graded-stakes placing as her first to the races. Second dam Unhurried (Out of Place) is a stakes-placed runner and producer who claims course record-setting stakes-winner Libor Lady (Exchange Rate) as a half. That one produced GSW Allibor (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}) and the family also claims 19-time winner and course record-setter Thrillin Discovery (Alaskan Frost). Skippylongstocking has a 2-year-old half-sister by Mshawish–who sold June 8 for $230,000 at OBSOPN to G. Chris Coleman–and a yearling half-sister by Take Charge Indy.

3) NEST, f, Curlin–Marion Ravenwood, by A.P. Indy
Owner: Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Michael House
Breeder: Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables (KY)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Sales History: Nest summoned a price tag worthy of her pedigree and talent, bringing $350,000 from these partners at the 2020 Keeneland September Sale.
Pedigree Notes: Nest is out of stakes winner Marion Ravenwood, a daughter of GI Belmont S. winner A.P. Indy. The 14-year-old mare is also responsible for GI Santa Anita H. hero Idol (Curlin) and MSP Dr Jack (Pioneerof the Nile). Nest is bred top and bottom for Classic distances and her sire Curlin fell short at the hooves of a filly in his Belmont bid, missing by a head to Rags to Riches in 2007. Curlin is the sire of 48 graded stakes winners.

4) RICH STRIKE, c, Keen Ice–Gold Strike, by Smart Strike
Owner: RED TR-Racing, LLC
Breeder: Calumet Farm (KY)
Trainer: Eric Reed
Pedigree Notes: Like his first-crop son, Rich Strike, Keen Ice set the racing world abuzz with a shocking win defeating Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the GI Travers S. Rich Strike, claimed for just $30,000 off breeder Calumet Farm, became Keen Ice's first graded winner with his monumental 80-1 upset in the GI Kentucky Derby. Rich Strike is inbred 3×2 to Smart Strike. Rich Strike is one of 57 graded winners for Smart strike as a broodmare sire.
Rich Strike's 20-year-old dam was Canada's champion 3-year-old filly in 2005. She raced as a homebred for Richard A. N. Bonnycastle's Harlequin Ranches. Bonnycastle, who has a long family history in Canadian racing, has bred several of Gold Strike's foals in the Cavendish name. His last foal out of the mare was the unraced Stoney Miss (Birdstone) in 2015, soon after her Llanarmon (Sky Mesa) was a graded stakes winner for him, and he sold Gold Strike for $230,000 at Keeneland November that year while in foal to Llanarmon's sire. Calumet Farm was the purchaser.
Calumet is the breeder on record for the mare's 2016 foal, J and J O'Shea (Sky Mesa), who was unraced, and Gold Strike was subsequently sent to Calumet stallions. She got My Blonde Mary (Oxbow) in 2017-who was claimed for $5,000 after finishing third at Tampa Apr. 6-and Rich Strike in 2019. Bred to another Calumet sire, Ransom the Moon, Gold Strike was returned to the Keeneland November sale in 2019 and sold to Tommy Wente for $1,700. The Manitoba-bred mare has not produced a foal since.

5) CREATIVE MINISTER, c, Creative Cause–Tamboz, by Tapit
Owner: Fern Circle Stables, Back Racing, LLC, & Magdalena Racing
Breeder: Dell Ridge Farm LLC (KY)
Trainer: Kenneth McPeek
Sales History: $180,000 Keeneland September yearling
Pedigree Notes: Creative Minister's dam, a full-sister to GISW Tapizar (Tapit), won only once and did the majority of her racing between 4 1/2 and seven furlongs. Creative Minister is a half-brother to MGSP Battalion Runner (Unbridled's Song), MGSP Oceanwave (Harlan's Holiday), and GISP Dolder Grand (Candy Ride {Arg}). Tamboz has a 2-year-old filly by Curlin and a yearling filly by Gun Runner. Creative Minister's broodmare sire Tapit has sired a record four Belmont S. winners.

6) MO DONEGAL, c, Uncle Mo–Callingmissbrown, by Pulpit
Owner: Donegal Racing & Repole Stable
Breeder: Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables (KY)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Sales History: Mo Donegal was a $250,000 yearling purchase by Donegal Racing at the 2020 Keeneland September sale.
Pedigree Notes: Donegal Racing's Jerry Crawford went to $250,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September sale to secure Mo Donegal, and earlier this term, Mike Repole's Repole Stable purchased a minority interest in the GI Kentucky Derby aspirant following his win in the GII Wood Memorial S. He is one of 43 graded winners for Uncle Mo. The colt is out of Callingmissbrown, who won half of four starts during her only season to race at four. The My Meadowview homebred is a daughter of millionaire Island Sand (Tabasco Cat), winner of the GI Acorn and runner-up in the GI Kentucky Oaks. A daughter of Sue's Last Dance (Forty Niner), who is a half-sister to Queen's Plate hero Niigon (Unbridled), Island Sand is also responsible for MGISP Maya Malibu (Malibu Moon). Mo Donegal, one of three foals produced by his dam, also has a year-older sister by Speightstown, named Bluegrass Belle, and a juvenile brother by Into Mischief, who realized $500,000 at Keeneland last September. The 10-year-old mare has failed to produce a live foal in each of the past two seasons.

7) GOLDEN GLIDER, c, Ghostzapper–Golden Scarf, by Orientate
Owner: Gary Barber, Manfred & Penny Conrad
Breeder: Nursery Place & Dicken Equine (KY)
Trainer: Mark Casse
Sales History: Justin Casse secured this son of Ghostzapper for $395,000 as a weanling at Keeneland November.
Pedigree Notes: Out of the Orientate mare Golden Scarf, Golden Glider is a half to stakes winner Glamanation (Point of Entry). This is also the family of GI Belmont S. hero Touch Gold and Canadian Horse of the Year With Approval. His sire Ghostzapper won the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in 2004. Ghostzapper is the sire of 48 graded stakes winners.

8) BARBER ROAD, c, Race Day–Encounter, by Southern Image
Owner: WSS Racing LLC
Breeder: Susan Forrester & Judy Curry (KY)
Trainer: John Alexander Ortiz
Sales History: Purchased for $15,000 out of the 2019 Keeneland November sale
Pedigree Notes: Barber Road is easily the most accomplished of the four winners from five to race for his dam, who was hammered down for the upset price of $1,000 at the 2015 Keeneland November Sale. Encounter, a half-sister to GIII Turfway Breeders' Cup S. heroine Susan's Angel (Cape Town), the stakes-winning Copingaway (Brother Derek) and SP Adorable Jane (Tale of the Cat), is also represented by a 2-year-old Cinco Charlie filly.