Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Chief Wallabee
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Chief Wallabee
Colt by Constitution – A La Lucie, by Medaglia d’Oro
Bred in Kentucky by Mike Ball and Katherine Ball
Chief Wallabee, who has made both of his starts at Gulfstream Park, will look to punch his ticket to the Kentucky Derby in Saturday’s Florida Derby. His sire, Constitution, won that race and showed a particular affinity for Gulfstream, a trait he has passed on to some of his runners.
Constitution, by Tapit, was never defeated at Gulfstream, where he scored all four of his career wins. Those included Grade 1 victories in the 2014 Florida Derby and 2015 Donn Handicap.
Constitution’s first crop was led by Tiz the Law, who won the Grade 3 Holy Bull and then emulated his sire by winning the Florida Derby. In that pandemic-shuffled 2020 season, he went on to win the Belmont Stakes, that year at 1 1/8 miles around one turn at Belmont Park, and the Grade 1 Travers at 1 1/4 miles. He then finished second in the September Kentucky Derby, also at 1 1/4 miles.
While clearly a standout at two turns, Tiz the Law also won the Grade 1 Champagne at a one-turn mile as a 2-year-old.
Many of Constitution’s best runners have shown both brilliance around one turn and the stamina to go longer. His 13 Grade/Group 1 winners worldwide include classic-placed Mindframe, who won last year’s Grade 1 Churchill Downs at seven furlongs and Grade 1 Stephen Foster at nine furlongs back to back. Mindframe also showed the familial affinity for Gulfstream, as he won his debut there and also took the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile last year.
Chief Wallabee is the first starter for unraced A La Lucie, who is from a family that seemingly slants toward sprints. She is out of Gloryzapper, winner of the Grade 3 L.A. Woman at 6 1/2 furlongs. Gloryzapper is a full sister to Superstition, a stakes winner who was graded stakes-placed sprinting on turf.
Classic sire Medaglia d’Oro is the broodmare sire of 10 Grade 1 winners in the U.S. alone. Those are led by Eclipse Award champion National Treasure, winner of the 2023 Preakness Stakes and the following year’s Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup and Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap.
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