DERBY FEATURE
MAY 2, 2011
Mineshaft can make his mark in Derby
by John Mucciolo
In Saturday’s Kentucky Derby (G1), two top contenders, Dialed In and Nehro,
are sired by Mineshaft. While the name Mineshaft is not necessarily commonplace
outside of the Bluegrass region of Central Kentucky, no racing guru should be
surprised by the success that the blue-blooded stallion has endured on the Road
to the Kentucky Derby this season.
Mineshaft is the combination of two of the most influential stallions in
recent North American history, A.P. Indy (sire) and Mr. Prospector (dam sire).
Unraced at two, Mineshaft cut his teeth racing on grass in Europe in 2002,
registering only one win and a third in a Group 3 event from seven starts. The
Will Farish homebred was sent to the United States and after winning his first
race on the dirt at Churchill Downs, he would never step on the green again.
While he had no chance at impacting the Triple Crown races due to his late
blossoming, Mineshaft did leave quite an impact on the American racing scene —
winning nine of 11 starts on this side of the pond and garnering Horse of the
Year honors in 2003 after capturing the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), Woodward
(G1), Suburban (G1), Pimlico Special (G1) and three other stakes races. The dark
bay colt was a standout physical specimen that often toyed with his competition.
Mineshaft is by A.P. Indy, who was the morning-line favorite for the 1992
Kentucky Derby before being the scratched the morning of the race due to a minor
injury. Not all was lost, however, for the massive colt as A.P. Indy won the
Belmont Stakes five weeks later. He went on to garner Horse of the Year honors
following his victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) later that year.
A son of the legendary Seattle Slew, A.P. Indy has left his mark in the
breeding shed, rating as one of the top sires of modern times, and counts Triple
Crown race winners Bernardini and Rags to Riches among his “slew” of dynamic
offspring.
Seattle Slew is the only Thoroughbred to remain unbeaten while sweeping the
American Triple Crown, and
his name is recognizable even to the racing novice. One of the all-time greats
on the racetrack, the 1977 Horse of the Year was more important at stud, leaving
an indelible mark on the Thoroughbred breed that isn’t easily summed up in a
single story.
Being a third-generation Horse of the Year is indeed an impressive
accomplishment for Mineshaft. And while his impact as a stallion got off to a
slow start, much like he did on the track, the 12-year-old is approaching his
apex in his stud career. Fly Down nearly gave him his first classic winner last
year, finishing second in the Belmont Stakes, and 2011 could be the breakthrough
year for Mineshaft.
Dialed In recently captured the Florida Derby (G1) for Triple Crown savant Nick Zito and should be the favorite in the Run for the Roses. The most impressive
colt wowed at first asking beneath the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs in the
fall and hasn’t missed a beat since, with his customary close-from-the-clouds
style each time out. He was precocious but is still developing, much like his
daddy.
Nehro has a similar running style to Dialed In, but he’s quite different from
the Zito pupil. Conditioned by Eclipse Award-winning trainer Steve Asmussen, who
is perennially among the leaders in winners and has campaigned the likes of
Curlin and Rachel Alexandra in recent years, the late-blooming Nehro came from
virtually nowhere to be second in the Arkansas Derby (G1) and Louisiana Derby
(G2) and has created quite a buzz, not only in Louisville, Kentucky, but
nationwide among racing pundits and fans. Nehro was so off-the-radar earlier
this year, he was more than 15-1 when he won his first race in February!
With Dialed In being the likely favorite and Nehro projecting to be among the
top four or five in the betting, Mineshaft has a great opportunity to sire his
first Kentucky Derby winner. If so, it’s just greatness shining through once
again.