Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Potente

Potente

Colt by Into Mischief – Sweet Sting, by Awesome Again

Bred in Kentucky by Pam and Marty Wygod ($2.4 million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase by Speedway Stable)

Reigning leading sire Into Mischief, a seven-time champion, made a statement last weekend, sweeping a pair of Grade 1 Kentucky Derby prep races, as Renegade stormed toward the head of the class in the Arkansas Derby and Commandment won the Florida Derby, making them the top two choices on the Derby Watch line this week. A fourth Kentucky Derby win would be record-setting by Into Mischief, who looks to win the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby this weekend with Potente.

Into Mischief recorded his third official Kentucky Derby winner when his son Sovereignty wore the roses en route to Horse of the Year honors last year, tying the all-time record for stallions in the race. Into Mischief sired his first classic winner when another eventual Horse of the Year, Authentic, took the pandemic-delayed 2020 Derby. The following spring, Into Mischief’s son Mandaloun crossed the line second by a half-length to Medina Spirit but was later elevated to first due to Medina Spirit’s disqualification for a medication violation.

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On this year’s classics trail, Commandment has won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream, while Renegade won the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs before blowing away his Arkansas Derby competition at Oaklawn Park. Potente comes to the Santa Anita Derby off a win in the Grade 2 San Felipe.

Sweet Sting was stakes-placed on turf, finishing third in the 2018 Memories of Silver, befitting her lineage. Her dam is Eclipse Award champion grass mare Perfect Sting, who won the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf and eight other graded stakes, including Grade 1 scores in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and Garden City. Potente is the first stakes horse out of Sweet Sting, who is the dam of three winners from four starters.

Broodmare sire Awesome Again adds additional stamina. His daughters have produced Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and champion Accelerate, along with dirt route Grade 1 winners Awesome Maria, Highland Falls, Keen Ice, and Power Squeeze.

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