Multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Brother Derek registered his first
winner as a freshman sire when Captain Derek got up in time in Sunday’s
5TH
race at Monmouth. Racing in fourth for much of the way, the juvenile gelding
delivered a potent late rally beneath Pedro Cotto Jr. to thrust his nose in
front. The chestnut covered 5 1/2 fast-track furlongs in 1:05 2/5.
Unplaced in his debut in a July 29 maiden special weight, Captain Derek was
overlooked as the 18-1 longest shot on the board in Sunday’s $40,000 maiden
claimer. He is co-owned by Joseph and Gayle Ioia and trainer Chuck Spina.
Captain Derek was bred by Wayne G. Lyster III in the Bluegrass State and is
out of the winning Thunder Gulch mare Thunder Serenade. Initially sold for
$10,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling, he later fetched $32,000 as
an OBS April two-year-old in training.
Brother Derek, a son of the Alydar stallion Benchmark, was a leading
two-year-old of 2005. Victorious in a 4 1/2-furlong dash in his May debut, he
was third after a poor start in the I’m Smokin Stakes for California-breds, but
promptly got back on track with a front-running score in the Grade 2 Norfolk
Stakes at Oak Tree. The bay shipped to Belmont Park for the Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile, where he wound up fourth.
Back home in Southern California, Brother Derek captured the Grade 1
Hollywood Futurity to commence a four-race winning streak. He led throughout in
the Grade 2 San Rafael Stakes, gaining revenge on Breeders’ Cup Juvenile hero
and divisional champion Stevie Wonderboy, and went on to dominate Santa Anita’s
road to the Kentucky Derby. Brother Derek landed the Grade 2 Santa Catalina
Stakes and wired the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby by 3 1/4 lengths.
The morning-line favorite for the 2006 Kentucky Derby, Brother Derek rallied
for a gallant, dead-heat fourth after a troubled trip, and he was fourth again
in the Preakness. He ended the season with a runner-up effort in the Grade 2
Goodwood and a fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Brother Derek raced only
twice at four, finishing third in both the Grade 2 San Fernando and Grade 2
Strub, and ultimately retired with a record of 17-6-2-3, $1,611,138.
Brother Derek is a full brother to multiple stakes victor Don’tsellmeshort as
well as the stakes-placed Sister Kate, and he is a half-brother to the multiple
stakes-placed Swissle Stick. Two other half-sisters are producers — Miss
Continental, the dam of Peruvian Group 3-placed Comprometido and non-black-type
stakes winner Mountain Echo — and Soft Bounty, dam of non-black-type stakes
scorer Swiss Bounty.
Brother Derek is out of the unraced Miss Soft Sell, a daughter of Siyah Kalem.
His second dam is multiple stakes heroine Solamente Un Vez.
The nine-year-old stallion stands at Airdrie Stud near Midway, Kentucky, for
$7,500, live foal.