Deep ties to Claiborne Farm among this year's Derby field

Claiborne Farm has won the Kentucky Derby only once in its century-plus history, when the star-crossed Swale carried its famous gold silks beneath the twin spires. But that doesn’t mean the farm hasn’t had ties to other Derby winners – or that the Hancock family’s influence isn’t all over this year’s race despite its lack of ownership.

“We have a lot of interest,” said farm president Walker Hancock, the great-grandson of Arthur B. Hancock, who founded Claiborne in 1910.

That might be an understatement. War Front, Claiborne’s current flagship sire and North America’s most expensive stallion, has two in the Derby field in Arkansas Derby winner and possible favorite Omaha Beach and War of Will. Another two likely starters are by current or former Claiborne stallions and were raised on the Paris, Ky., property. Tax, by the late Arch, was bred by Claiborne and partner Adele B. Dilschneider and raced for them before changing hands in a claiming race. Cutting Humor, by First Samurai and out of a mare by the late Pulpit, was bred by Dell Hancock – Walker’s aunt – and Claiborne stallion manager Bernie Sams, and was sold by the farm as a short yearling.

War Front, a son of late, great Claiborne leading sire Danzig, was a Grade 2-winning sprinter on dirt, but has had international turf success with Group 1 winners including Air Force Blue, Declaration of War, Hit It A Bomb, Roly Poly, U S Navy Flag, and War Command. His Grade 1 winners on turf in the United States include Data Link, who now stands at Claiborne. Thanks to his success on the track and resulting popularity in the auction ring, War Front’s stud fee has risen from his introductory $12,500 in 2007 to its current rate of $250,000.

Both Omaha Beach – who also is out of a mare by late Claiborne stallion Seeking the Gold – and War of Will began their careers on turf before eventually moving to dirt, getting back to War Front’s roots.

“He started out as a dirt sire, that’s how he got his name out there,” Hancock said. “He had early horses like The Factor, Soldat, and Departing, who were all impressive on the dirt. It really wasn’t until he had two winners at Royal Ascot that he kind of became, I guess, more of a turf sire. But to have horses like War of Will and Omaha Beach on the Derby trail, it’s just proven to people again that War Front can also get a quality dirt horse.”

Arch, who was out of a Danzig mare, was a rare yearling purchase by Claiborne, for $710,000 out of the 1996 Keeneland July yearling sale. His racing career was highlighted by a victory in the Grade 1 Super Derby in 1998 before he retired. His runners were led by Blame, who won the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic for Claiborne and Dilschneider, handing the great Zenyatta her only defeat, before retiring to his birthplace. Arch died in early 2016 of a suspected heart attack, a few months before Tax was foaled.

At Keeneland last October, Tax won his second start and was claimed for $50,000 by Danny Gargan on behalf of Hugh Lynch. He will start in the Kentucky Derby for Lynch, R.A. Hill Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, and Corms Racing Stable.

“We always knew he was going to be kind of a later-developing, big, two-turn type of horse,” Hancock said. “It’s great that he’s come on. That’s kind of typical for Arch, too. Blame, obviously, won the Breeders’ Cup Classic when he was 4. Some of his better horses have been the later-developing horses. He doesn’t really get 2-year-olds, but they tend to prove themselves as they get older.”

Cutting Humor is by First Samurai, who won the Hopeful and Champagne stakes, finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and won the Fountain of Youth the following year. His best runners include Grade 1 winners Executiveprivilege, Justin Phillip, and Lea, who raced for Claiborne and Dilschneider and now stands at the farm.

“I think they’re durable,” Hancock said of First Samurai’s offspring. “He usually throws down a lot of bone. They’re big, strong horses. Lea, obviously, was that. He went and traveled to Dubai, to Canada, within the U.S. – it didn’t matter, he won everywhere. I think he lays down some bone and athleticism and size into his offspring.”

Claiborne sold Cutting Humor as a yearling for $135,000 at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale to a Taylor Made pinhook investment group, which then resold him for $400,000 to Starlight Racing later that year at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected sale.

In addition to the four in the Kentucky Derby horses by Claiborne sires, the Hancock family will have other ties to the race. The late Pulpit – a Claiborne homebred who won the Fountain of Youth and Blue Grass – is the sire of Gainesway’s perennial leading sire Tapit, who will be represented in this Derby by Tacitus. Meanwhile, Danzig’s classic-placed son Hard Spun, standing for Darley, will be represented by Spinoff. Another of the Kentucky Derby favorites, Santa Anita Derby winner Roadster, was bred by the Stone Farm of Arthur Hancock III, Walker Hancock’s uncle.

The pursuit of the Kentucky Derby ties every farm together.

“It’s obviously synonymous with horse racing, and it’s the race I think everyone who gets into this business sets out to win,” Walker Hancock said.

“The tradition, the history, you won’t find in any other sport.”

The same could be said of Claiborne.