Regal Ransom

2009 Prep Recap

Date	Trk	Race	Chart	Distance	Time	BSF	Video
1/22	DUB	Ford Flex Trophy	N/A	7 fur.	1:24	N/A
2/12	DUB	UAE 2000 Guineas (G3)	N/A	1m	1:37	N/A
3/28	NAD	UAE Derby (G2)	N/A	1 1/8m	1:50	N/A

Profile by Alan Shuback

Strengths: Beat stablemate Desert Party in the UAE Derby, holding on most gamely through the long 2 1/2-furlong Nad Al Sheba stretch. He is a consistent type whose only bad try came on Santa Anita's Pro-Ride surface when he was in tight seeking room on the turn. Has been working brilliantly at Churchill and is possessed of enough early speed to be a pace factor. Is also well-practiced on dirt, something horses from Keeneland, Turfway, Santa Anita, Golden Gate, and Woodbine can't say.

Weaknesses: Got away with a slow pace in his UAE Derby victory and will face much more pressure on the front end in the Derby. Has been beating nothing outside of Desert Party in Dubai. There is also a doubt about his ability to stay 10 furlongs; his sire, Distorted Humor, and broodmare sire, Red Ransom, are best known for getting milers.

Strategy: Has been on the lead or close up to the pace in all of his best efforts to date, and will want to be in much the same position in the Derby. The feeling is that Godolphin still considers Desert Party as its first string, and while Godolphin will certainly be trying with Regal Ransom, it will be just as happy if he insures a fast pace for his uncoupled stablemate.

Value: Good if you think he can sneak away to an uncontested lead and hang on for at least third, a not-impossible scenario as there is little genuine speed in the race. Not so good otherwise, even at 25-1.

Pedigree Analysis By Dan Illman

Dosage Profile:  6-3-14-0-1
Dosage Index: 2.00
Center of Distribution:  0.54
Auction:  $675,000 juvenile

Sire - Distorted Humor, a son of Kentucky Derby runner-up Forty Niner, was a crack sprinter.  A multiple Grade 2 winner at seven furlongs, Distorted Humor surpassed the 115 Beyer Speed Figure plateau on three occasions. Although Distorted Humor never won at distances beyond 7 1/2 furlongs, he twice placed in graded races at 1 1/8 miles. 
Although mostly known as a sprinter, Distorted Humor has sired graded stakes winners at ten furlongs.  Funny Cide, the plucky New York-bred gelding, earned Kentucky Derby immortality by winning the 2003 Run for the Roses. Flower Alley won the historic Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Long-winded Fourty Niners Son prevailed in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch on turf.
The classy filly, Hystericalady, scored in the 2008 Delaware Handicap.  It's
No Joke took the Hawthorne Gold Cup.

Dam - Kelli's Ransom, a winless homebred, placed three times in four turf starts at distances ranging from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles.  She never raced on dirt, and earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 88 sprinting.  Kelli's Ransom is a half-sister to River God, a stakes-placed miler on the turf, and Minister Eric, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up that placed 16th in the 2004 Kentucky Derby.  Minister Eric won the Grade 2 San Fernando Breeders' Cup at 1 1/16 miles as a four-year-old. 
This female family has produced Pico Teneriffe, a multiple graded winner at nine furlongs on the grass.  Pico Teneriffe is the dam of Marchfield, the winner of the Breeders' Stakes going 1 1/2 miles on turf. 
Other notable runners from this family include Salmon Ladder, a Group winner at 12 furlongs on turf in England, multiple stakes-winner Aladancer, Spinaway winner Alanesian, multiple stakes-winner Middle Brother, and Test Stakes winner Alablue.

Outlook:  There is stamina in this pedigree, but Regal Ransom seems to have taken more after his sire in terms of racing ability.  Yes, Regal Ransom did win the UAE 2000 Guineas at 1 1/8 miles but he was aided by an inside, speed-favoring course that day.  This pedigree could carry him 1 1/4 miles under ideal circumstances, but whether the mad dash that is the Kentucky
Derby will provide those circumstances is questionable indeed.