2022 Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Shipsational

Shipsational

Midshipman – Regal Approach, by Thunder Gulch

Bred in New York by Mr. and Mrs. Bertram R. Firestone ($27,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase by Blackwater Sales; $210,000 OBS March juvenile purchase by High Point Bloodstock)

The consistent Shipsational, a statebred stakes winner who reaches for the brass ring in this weekend’s Tampa Bay Derby, is from a family that has found success at a variety of pursuits.

Midshipman, by Unbridled’s Song, was a divisional Eclipse Award champion after winning the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. That victory, like most of his starts, came on a synthetic surface. He did win his only start on dirt, a 6 1/2-furlong allowance at Belmont Park, before finishing third on synthetic in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

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Midshipman, who is from the immediate family of multiple Grade 1 winner Frosted, has proven a useful and versatile stallion, with 52 career stakes winners spread between dirt and turf. His best runner is graded stakes winner Lady Shipman, a standout turf sprinter who captured 11 stakes. He also is the sire of graded stakes-winning sprinters Dearest, Mr Vargas, and Special Reserve.

At longer distances, he is the sire of Royal Ship, a Group 1 winner in Brazil who captured last year’s Grade 2 Californian and was second in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup; Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes winner Sassy Sienna; Grade 2 winner Princess Warrior, who won the Mrs. Revere on turf; and Naval Laughter, winner of the Grade 3 Modesty at 1 3/16 miles on turf.

The average winning distance of his progeny is 6.6 furlongs.

Regal Approach has been solid both as a racemare and broodmare. She won 5 of 21 starts, at distances up to 1 1/16 miles.

She is the dam of nine winners from as many starters. Five of her offspring have won at a mile or beyond, including Shipsational and Regal Melody, bred on the same cross.

Second dam Regal Approval, a stakes winner at 1 1/16 miles on turf, produced Mr Maybe, a turf marathoner whose biggest wins came in the Grade 3 Red Smith at 1 3/8 miles and the John’s Call at 1 5/8 miles. This is the extended family of Grade 2 Super Derby winner The Daddy and What a City, winner of the Grade 2 Lane’s End Stakes – now the Jeff Ruby – on the Derby trail 16 years ago.