Empire Maker's Son Pioneerof The Nile Derby Star
Belmont Stakes Winner Held Off Funny Cide's 2003 Triple Crown Run
Apr 29, 2009
The stories and the pedigrees of Kentucky Derby winners intertwine and link history that traces back to the beginnings of Thoroughbred racing.
Where did it begin? Who will push it another generation forward in this year's Kentucky Derby?
A fifth place finisher behind winner Midshipman, Square Eddie, Street Hero, and Terrain in last season's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Pioneerof The Nile caught Bob Baffert's eye early on. The famed trainer, elected to the 2009 class of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on his first ballot this year, last trained a Kentucky Derby winner in 2002, when War Emblem bloomed into a Triple Crown title threat.
The Sport of Kings in Ireland
Thoroughbred racing didn't start of its own in America. The noted trotters Messenger and Hambletonian actually begot many early American Thoroughbred runners. English bloodstock, in particular, Eclipse, influenced the Thoroughbred in America, as did Irish and French stock.
In Ireland's Eighteenth Century, (records Roger Longrigg in The History of Horse Racing, 1972, pg. 168 -- Stein and Day, Publishers, New York), the popularity of racing horses gained and waned with the history of the times. " ' ...Horse racing is become a great diversion in the country...The company that comes to these races help to keep up the people's spirits by consuming their liquors -- the chief manufacture of the place...' " The place was the town in vogue which made " '...a horse-course round about them...' "
Ireland's rebellion, ending at Boyne in 1690, was the fact from which the Irish needed diversion. Its racing crowd revived their sport soon after, bringing it back to the rural towns in general by 1725. From that time, it grew full-bore.
Today, the nations of France, England and Japan, especially, join the South American countries of Argentina and Brazil, and the United States in their Thoroughbred breeding and racing endeavors.
With the advent of numerous synthetic racing surfaces cropping up in America, the globe is shrinking in terms of Thoroughbred competitions. Last year's Breeders' Cup races at Santa Anita Park, where Pro-Ride synthetics had been installed, attracted the most foreign entries and produced the most foreign winners in the history of the championships.
Pioneerof The Nile Pedigree
Empire Maker ran second to Funny Cide in the 2003 Kentucky Derby, but rebounded to beat the surprise roses winner in the Belmont Stakes several weeks later to thwart Funny Cide's Triple Crown title effort.
Empire Maker has sired 49 winners and 18 two-year-old winners from 244 foals.
Pioneerof The Nile is a dark bay/brown colt sired by Empire Maker--Star of Goshen.
Empire Maker was sired by Unbridled--Toussaud, by El Gran Senor. Unbridled was sired by Fappiano--Gana Facil. Mr. Prospector sired Fappiano. Northern Dancer sired El Gran Senor.
Star of Goshen was sired by Lord At War and out of Castle Eight, by Key to the Kingdom--Her Native. Key to the Kingdom was sired by Bold Ruler--Key Bridge.
Zayat Stables of Kentucky owns Pioneerof The Nile.
