The primary Friday of Gulfstream Park‘s 2024-25 Championship Meet Nov. 29 options the eleventh working of the Pulpit Stakes.
The turf race for juveniles is called in honor of the Claiborne Farm homebred who efficiently kicked off his racing profession at age 3 in 1997 with three straight wins on the Hallandale Seashore, Fla., observe earlier than ending runner-up there within the Florida Derby (G1).
Inaugurated in 2013, the Pulpit Stakes was a one-mile race earlier than being in the reduction of to 7 1/2 furlongs in 2022. Notable Pulpit Stakes winners embrace 2016 victor Tapwrit , a grandson of Pulpit, who went on to win the Belmont Stakes (G1) the next 12 months and stands together with his sire Tapit at Gainesway. One other notable Pulpit Stakes winner is 2018 victor Henley’s Pleasure , by Kitten’s Pleasure, who went on to develop into a grade 1 winner within the 2019 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T).
Racing Profession
Foaled in 1994, Pulpit was a first-crop A.P. Indy colt and from certainly one of Claiborne’s most completed feminine households. Forty-two days after his profession debut, Pulpit’s spectacular begin to his profession at Gulfstream Park in early 1997 led New York Instances author Joe Durso to write down that Pulpit “is certainly the main candidate to win the Kentucky Derby.”
After not racing as a juvenile as a consequence of nagging rising pains, the long-striding Frank Brothers-trained colt burst onto the racing scene with a smashing gate-to-wire debut win over seven furlongs in January. He adopted it up with an equally spectacular front-running allowance victory in early February masking a mile and a sixteenth. His first two begins had been gained by a mixed margin of greater than 14 lengths.
Two weeks later, he confronted his first actual take a look at in Gulfstream’s Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2). He rated off a quick tempo earlier than taking the lead midstretch to win by a size and a half. Now clearly on the Kentucky Derby (G1) path, Brothers was quoted within the New York Instances as stating “I’ve by no means skilled a colt like him earlier than … He has numerous brilliance to him. He is a runner, a gifted colt.”
Pulpit and Shane Sellers after successful the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park
For his fourth profession begin within the Florida Derby (G1) in March, Pulpit’s jockey Shane Sellers adopted the same race plan to his Fountain of Youth victory by racing off the tempo. He hit the highest of the stretch a half-length from the lead behind Frisk Me Now however got here up 2 1/2 lengths again on the wire to accept runner-up honors when Captain Bodgit rallied late. Pulpit bounced again in April within the Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland, drawing clear to win by 3 1/2 lengths to safe his second graded stakes win.
Coming into the Kentucky Derby with 4 wins from 5 begins, he led the sector into the clubhouse flip and within the backstretch earlier than being overtaken coming into the stretch. Silver Appeal would seize the lead within the stretch and maintain off Captain Bodgit by a head. Pulpit held on for a decent fourth-place end. The super-talented colt sadly got here away from the Derby with a career-ending knee fracture and returned house to Claiborne to hitch the stallion roster.
Stallion Profession
Recognized as a “breed shaper” by pedigree knowledgeable Alan Porter, fifth-generation Claiborne-bred Pulpit was inbred 5x4x5 to Daring Ruler and 5×5 to Princequillo, each champion sires at Claiborne. Laurie Ross’s evaluation of his pedigree revealed on-line at Horse Racing Nation famous that there are an incredible 20 blue-hen mares contained within the first 5 generations of Pulpit’s pedigree. Additional, by A.P. Indy and out of a Mr. Prospector mare (Preach), he shared the identical profitable cross as a number of sires, together with Claiborne-bred full brothers Congrats and Flatter , grade 1 winners Mineshaft and Girolamo , and Malibu Moon.
Bodily, he was spectacular. Pedigree author Avalyn Hunter’s American Traditional Pedigrees notes that Pulpit was a “well-balanced, closely constructed bay” with “a wonderful shoulder and the sturdy hindquarters and hind leg typical of his maternal grandsire, Mr. Prospector. He developed the dipped topline typical of the Seattle Slew male line as he matured.”
Concerning the traits he handed on to his little kids, Thoroughbred writer Frank Mitchell wrote on his weblog in 2014 that “high quality and sophistication are hallmarks of the Pulpit inventory. In addition they have velocity, and Pulpit’s department of the A.P. Indy line is notable for that essential asset.”
Standing at Claiborne from 1998 till his dying in 2012, Pulpit sired practically 950 named foals. Greater than 40 of Pulpit’s progeny gained graded stakes within the U.S. and, internationally, his progeny gained stakes in Canada, England, Germany, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. His 12 grade 1 winners embrace: Claiborne homebred Stroll, winner of Churchill’s 2004 Turf Traditional Stakes (G1T); Lord Nelson, winner of the 2016 Triple Bend Stakes (G1), Bing Crosby Stakes (G1), and Santa Anita Dash Championship Stakes (G1); Corinthian , winner of the 2007 Metropolitan Handicap (G1); Ice Field , a Florida Derby winner who was runner-up within the 2010 Kentucky Derby; Mi Sueno, winner of the 2009 Debutante Stakes (G1); Mr Speaker , winner of the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes; Energy Dealer , winner of the 2012 FrontRunner Stakes (G1); Purge , winner of the 2005 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1); Pyro , winner of the 2009 Forego Stakes (G1); Rutherienne , winner of the 2007 Del Mar Oaks (G1); Sky Mesa , winner of the 2002 Hopeful Stakes (G1); and, Tapit, winner of the 2004 Wooden Memorial Stakes (G1).
Mr Speaker
A sire of sires, Pulpit has efficiently carried on the male line of his sire A.P. Indy and grandsire Seattle Slew, together with his progeny together with Gainesway’s three-time main sire Tapit, Three Chimneys stallion Sky Mesa, and the late Harris Farms stallion Fortunate Pulpit. On the time of his dying, Pulpit had no less than 30 sons standing at stud globally.
As a broodmare sire, Pulpit’s daughters have produced 2022 Belmont Stakes winner Mo Donegal , by Uncle Mo , and grade 1 winners Nadal , by Claiborne homebred stallion Blame ; Actual Answer , by Kitten’s Pleasure; Sibelius , by Not This Time ; and Tuz , by Oxbow .
Feminine Household
Hailing from an “immensely highly effective feminine household,” as just lately famous in BloodHorse by Eric Mitchell, Pulpit’s tail-female line traces again to imported British-bred Claiborne basis mare Knight’s Daughter. His first 5 dams had been recognized by the late pedigree knowledgeable Ellen Parker as a reines-de-course or “queens of the turf” mares for his or her lasting influence as broodmares.
Pulpit was the primary foal out of Preach, by Claiborne stallion Mr. Prospector, a Shug McGaughey-trained winner of the 1991 Frizette Stakes (G1). Along with producing Pulpit, Preach was the granddam of grade 3 winner Wild Shot , by Trappe Shot, and grade 1-placed Claiborne-bred Infinite Chatter, by Claiborne stallion First Samurai .
His granddam Narrate, by Claiborne stallion Trustworthy Pleasure, was a grade 3 winner of the 1983 Falls Metropolis Handicap (G3). By way of her daughter Yarn, a full sister to Pulpit’s dam Preach, Narrate was the granddam of Coolmore’s English and Irish champion 2-year-old male Minardi, by Claiborne and Gamely Corp.-bred sire Boundary. By way of Yarn, Narrate can also be the granddam of Ashford Stud’s late, outstanding worldwide sire Story of the Cat, by Storm Cat, and a number of graded stakes-winning stallion Fed Biz , by Big’s Causeway.
Additionally by way of the Yarn department, Narrate is the third dam of Johannesburg, by Hennessy, the U.S. and European champion 2-year-old male of 2001, and fourth dam of grade 1 winner Joking, by Distorted Humor. Narrate’s dynamic daughters Preach and Yarn are additionally discovered within the pedigree of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify , who’s inbred 4×4 to the Claiborne-bred full sisters.
Pulpit’s great-granddam was three-time winner State, by Canadian-bred Claiborne stallion Nijinksy II. She was the dam of grade 2-winning Claiborne homebred Area, by Claiborne stallion Satan’s Bag, and Claiborne-bred grade 3 winners Double Feint, by Claiborne stallion Spectacular Bid, and Announce, by Claiborne-bred champion Forty Niner.
His fourth dam was Arlington Lassie Stakes winner Monarchy, by Irish-bred Claiborne stallion Princequillo. She was the dam of Claiborne-bred grade 2 winner Fabled Monarch, by French-bred Claiborne stallion Le Fabuleux, and Claiborne-bred stakes winner Title, by Claiborne stallion Daring Ruler. Monarchy was the third dam of 1988 English champion 2-year-old filly Tessla, by British-bred sire Glint of Gold, and fifth dam of Irish-bred Main Gentle, by his native sire Montjeu, winner of the basic 2103 St. Leger Stakes and 2014 Ascot Gold Cup (each G1) in Britain.
Pulpit’s fifth dam was imported British-bred Claiborne basis mare Knight’s Daughter, by Irish-bred stallion Sir Cosmo. She was bought by Arthur Hancock Sr. for two,500 guineas on the Tattersalls Newmarket sale in December 1951. Bred by King George VI, she earned 1959 Broodmare of the 12 months honors after her Claiborne-bred Princequillo colt Spherical Desk gained 1958 Horse of the 12 months honors, and was champion older horse 1958-59 and champion grass horse 1957-59. Spherical Desk is a Corridor of Famer and acknowledged as one of many best runners in historical past. He returned house to Claiborne and have become a wonderful sire. Knight’s Daughter was additionally the third dam of 1971 U.S. champion 3-year-old filly Turkish Trousers, by Bagdad; grade 1 winner Craelius, by Avatar; and Claiborne-bred Hollywood Derby-winning sire Inform, by Claiborne stallion Spherical Desk. She can also be the fourth dam of grade 1 winner Balzac, by Claiborne stallion Buckpasser.
Whereas harm prevented Pulpit’s racing profession from ever reaching its full potential, the blue blood made his mark as nice a stallion at Claiborne, carrying on one of the vital elite sire strains and including to the legacy of the noble Claiborne feminine household of Knight’s Daughter.
Claiborne Farm shared this story written by Jason Brooks. The story additionally seems on the Claiborne web site.
