The sire of the late closing Steppenwolfer, Aptitude, finished second in both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes, and is, himself, a son of the Horse of the Year and a producer of classic runner A.P. Indy. Armed with a most intriguing of pedigrees, Aptitude delivers a variety of classic blood close up in his pedigree, including the aforementioned A.P. Indy, Derby winners Seattle Slew, Secretariat, and Northern Dancer, as well as inbreeding to Buckpasser. At four, Aptitude won two grade ones, the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Hollywood Gold Cup, and a grade two, the Saratoga Breeder’s Cup, at a mile and a quarter. More anecdotal than anything else, Steppenwolfer’s great-great grand dam sire was the great Citation, a Triple Crown winner. Lawyer Ron may have had Steppenwolfer’s [named after the rock band Steppenwolf] number all winter at Oaklawn Park, but, if the Derby pace is as contested as expected, he may be the one on the magic carpet ride to the winner’s circle.

Sailing his way into the Derby is Seaside Retreat, a stakes winner in Canada who also placed in the Grade 2 Lane’s End on Turfway Park’s Polytrack surface. Seaside Retreat’s sire, King Cugat, was a graded stakes winner on the grass going 9 and 11 furlongs, and graded stakes placed going 12 furlongs. A son of the impeccably bred Kingmambo, who sired Belmont Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid, King Cugat’s offspring seem much better suited to running long on the grass. However, Seaside Retreat’s recent bullet work at Churchill Downs has convinced his Canadian based trainer, Mark Casse, and regular jockey, Patrick Husbands, to rendezvous at the Derby.

Showing Up, the lightly raced but gutsy winner of the Lexington Stakes, is a son of Strategic Mission, a New York stallion whose first crop consists of a mere 14 named foals. Barclay Tagg trains the undefeated Showing Up, the lesser half of Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s Lael Stables’ two horse two trainer Derby delegation that includes another undefeated colt Barbaro, a possible morning line favorite who is trained by Michael Matz and will be ridden by the always dangerous Edgar Prado. Tagg, who caught lightning in a bottle with Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide, certainly has his work cut out for him. Not only does Showing Up have only three career starts, but his sire, Strategic Mission, a son of Mr. Prospector, was a turf miler and only an okay one at that. Named for the old Woody Allen line that “80 percent of success is showing up,” Showing Up will need to do much more than that if he’s the one taking the Jackson family to the winner’s circle.

As difficult as the Derby trail is, just showing up is certainly an achievement. Getting to the finish line first, though, is the Holy Grail, and, in this year’s edition, the fresh new faces may just be smiling in the winner’s circle.

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