Profile of Triple Crown Contender, The Great War

THREE YEAR OLD CAMPAIGN THUS FAR

The Great War made his 2015 debut at Turfway Park in the 96ROCKS Stakes after being transferred to the barn of Wesley Ward.  Sent off at 1/10 odds, The Great War dominated an overmatched field by a devastating 7 1/4 lengths.  It appears his connections are taking one of the last remaining synthetic routes to the Kentucky Derby by pointing him towards Turfway Parks Spiral Stakes and I see no reason why this route to the Derby would impede his success on the first Saturday in May.  In recent years, horses with proven synthetic form have fared particularly well in the Kentucky Derby including Paddy O’ Prado, Went The Day Well and Animal Kingdom.

PEDIGREE

SIRE: WAR FRONT

WAR FRONT is arguably the hottest young sire on the planet.  His biggest international supporter is Coolmore who also happens to be The Great War’s owner.  War Front has shown the ability to sire high-class winners on all surfaces and his foals’ average winning distance is said to be about 7 furlongs.  Even more promising is that one of his sons, Group 1 winner Declaration of War, finished third in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic.  This could bode well for those believing that a son of War Front could handle the Derby distance.

DAM: GUIDE

Guide’s only career win came at the sprint distance of seven furlongs, and as of this writing only one of her foals has won a two turn race.  There are flashes of stamina in Guide’s extended family, however.  Guide’s full sister Leave is the dam of Departing, who has proven very efficient in races contested at a mile or longer, even winning such fixtures as the West Virginia Derby and The Super Derby.  Guide’s full brother Laity and her half-sister Trip both won stakes at 1 1/16 miles. Another half-sister, Joke, is the second dam of Irish You Well who recently won the 1 1/16 mile Long Branch Stakes.  All of this evidence hints to me that The Great War may fare okay at the 1 1/16 mile distance.