Musket Man
Graded Earnings: $485,000
Race Record: 6-5-0-1
Trainer - Derek Ryan
Jockey - Eibar Coa
Owner - Eric Fein and Vic Carlson
Breeder - Jim E. Nelson and Sergio de Sousa
Pedigree
In many respects, Musket Man is the perfect example of an overachiever. With speed influences permeating both sides of his family tree, and out of a dam that was more successful in the claiming ranks at the end of her career, Musket Man has done very well indeed to win both the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) at 1 /16 miles and the Illinois Derby (G2) at nine furlongs.
Musket Man is by Yonaguska, who captured the 2000 Hopeful S. (G1) in a dead heat at two and, after faltering when stretched out to two turns, reverted to sprinting. He later added the Hutcheson S. (G2), Sport Page H. (G3) and Fall Highweight H. (G2) to his resume, but ended his career on a sour note when unplaced in his final five starts. Like his sire, sprint champion Cherokee Run, Yonaguska has been represented by offspring who were able to stretch their speed to 1 1/16 miles and sometimes up to nine furlongs. Musket Man is the first graded stakes winner sired by Yonaguska, who is also represented this year by Earth Living, the runner-up in the U.A.E. One Thousand Guineas and the U.A.E. Oaks.
Fortuesque, the dam of Musket Man, won two allowances early in her career, placed in only one of her five stakes attempts (via disqualification), and had to drop into the claiming ranks to secure her final two wins. Unsuccessful beyond 6 1/2 furlongs, Fortuesque had not produced anything close in talent to Musket Man prior to his arrival.
Fortunate Prospect, the sire of Fortuesque, was a Grade 3 winner at three who later became a prolific winner of listed sprints along the Eastern seaboard. Out of a mare by 1965 Kentucky Derby winner Lucky Debonair, Fortunate Prospect sired a mix of sprint specialists and runners who were competitive up to nine furlongs. Among the latter group were 1992 Demoiselle S. (G2) heroine Fortunate Faith and multiple Grade 3 winner Suave Prospect, who placed in both the Florida Derby (G1) and Blue Grass S. (G2). Likewise, Fortunate Prospect’s daughters have produced runners as diverse as multiple Grade 3 turf winner Fort Prado (El Prado [Ire]) and multiple Grade 2 winner and sire Successful Appeal (Valid Appeal).
Given the abundance of speed influences in his pedigree, it would be a bit of a surprise to see Musket Man win at 1 1/4 miles at the highest level.
