Derby Siblings



Elusive Moment (IRE) (Elusive Quality x I'll Get Along (Smile)),
full sister to 2004 KY Derby and Preakness winner
Smarty Jones. Taken before her first start
(October 20, 2007 at Delaware Park)
She finished 4th.
Photo by me (Rachel Levine) 

With his win at Belmont on Saturday, Brethren avoided what I like would like to call "The Derby Sibling Curse". What is that you may ask? While winning the Kentucky Derby is the biggest accomplishment in most horses careers, it might spell doom for their younger siblings.

Just ask Coincide, Rockcide and Homicide, 2 sons and a daughter of the Slewacide mare Belle's Good Cide. Three black sheep in one family, now Coincide won a couple of races, but the other two did not. Who was the good sheep for their dam? That would be none other then the Gusty Gelding himself, Funny Cide. Now of course Rockcide redeemed herself by being the dam of G3 winner Rule, but still she never won a race on flat and her lone try over the jumps.

Big Brown's little sister My Chestnut Girl has won only 1 race over in Europe.

Smarty Jones' little brother and sister Speedy Jones and Elusive Moment have a combined 1 win. EM is the lovely horse pictured above when she was a 2 year old. No she didn't win that day either sadly, I actually saw her again as a 3yo and she finished last.

Elusive Sparkle and Broadway Ticket, both little sisters to Street Sense did a little better then the average Derby winning sibling, but not as well as their champion brother.

Since 2003, the most successful Derby winners sibling has been Tiago who of course is Giacomo's little brother. He won the Santa Anita Derby and the Goodwood (the later as a 3yo), and had finished third in Belmont and the BC Classic. Then again he was born the same year as Street Sense, Hard Spun, Curlin, Rags to Riches etc.

It's really unfair to put Brother Bird (Mine That Bird's kid brother), Lentenor and Nicanor (Barbaro's brothers) in the conversation for a few reasons.

For Brother Bird, he has only made 7 starts in his career and has won his 2 races this year. Plus he just finished 5th in a stakes race on his first try and he's only 3. As for Nicanor and Lentenor, it's asking alot considering how beloved Barbaro was. Also Dynaformer's are better on turf then they are dirt, with that being said Nicanor has had some success on dirt and Lentenor finished 4th in this year's Florida Derby.

As for Brethren, he's only had one race under his belt. Weather he turns out to be a G1 winner like Super Saver or a claimer like their big brother Hedge Fund (who was retired a few months ago to WinStar) it remains to be seen. Whatever happens, he will be a special part of 2010 KY Derby for who his big brother is.