Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Thousand Words
Thousand Words
Pioneerof the Nile – Pomeroys Pistol, by Pomeroy
Bred in Florida by Hardacre Farm ($1 million Keeneland September yearling purchase by Albaugh Family Stable and Spendthrift Farm)
For Thousand Words, who will be looking to get back to his winning ways in this weekend’s Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar, his pedigree is a classic case of stamina crossed over speed.
The late Pioneerof the Nile scored every victory of his career at distances beyond a mile. He was sent off as the third choice in the 2009 Kentucky Derby on the strength of consecutive victories in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity, Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes, Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes, and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. He finished second in the spring classic to longshot Mine That Bird.
Pioneerof the Nile swiftly proved himself a classic sire, led, of course, by 2015 Triple Crown hero American Pharoah. He is also the sire of Eclipse Award champion juvenile and 2017 Preakness Stakes runner-up Classic Empire, and 2014 Preakness third-place finisher Social Inclusion.
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Pomeroys Pistol, who never won around two turns, was a classy sprinter, taking the Grade 2 Forward Gal Stakes at seven furlongs, the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom at 6 1/2 furlongs, and the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl and Just Smashing Stakes, both at six furlongs. She placed in four other stakes, finishing third in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes at a mile.
Pomeroys Pistol is the dam of two winners from three starters to date, including Moon Pistol, by Malibu Moon, who notched his only win at six furlongs. Thousand Words has already won the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity and Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis, both at 1 1/16 miles.
Pomeroys Pistol a half-sister to two stakes-placed sprinters, is a granddaughter of the hard-knocking Swearingen, who won or placed in 14 stakes, and was a stakes winner at 1 1/8 miles on turf. This is the extended family of Grade 1-winning sprinter and successful sire Harlan.