Storm Cat's influence greatly felt in this year's Kentucky Derby

The influence of the late, great Storm Cat can’t be overstated. Five of this year’s Kentucky Derby entrants carry his blood via direct male line. One of those is Resilience, by leading sire Into Mischief, a great-grandson of Storm Cat.

The other Storm Cat line Derby horses are Domestic Product, Mystik Dan, Just a Touch, and Just Steel.

“I don’t care how far down the line you go with the Storm Cat influence, I take a great deal of pride in that,” Resilience’s co-owner Ric Waldman said. “Probably more pride because I had even something remotely to do with that. I get a great deal of pride.”

Waldman served as syndicate manager for Storm Cat from 1990 until his pensioning in 2008 at Overbrook Farm. Waldman, who also worked with stallions such as Carson City, Deputy Minister, The Minstrel, and Silver Deputy, got to know the late Marty Wygod when the owner was keen on breeding some of his mares to Storm Cat.

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“Storm Cat, we were very selective – we didn’t breed stallions then like we breed them today,” Waldman said.

Waldman recalled that he was skeptical about one of Wygod’s mares, the turf stakes winner Sweet Life, when the owner first lobbied to get her in Storm Cat’s book in 2001.

“Of course, she ends up producing Sweet Catomine and Life Is Sweet, so how smart am I?” Waldman said with a smile. Champion Sweet Catomine and Life Is Sweet, both by Storm Cat and out of Sweet Life, both won Breeders’ Cup races.

Over the years, Waldman began to work as a bloodstock adviser to Wygod, and a friendship evolved from there. Wygod, who never bred or owned a Derby starter, gifted Resilience to daughter Emily Bushnell and to Waldman – and was able to watch the colt win the Wood Memorial on April 6. He died April 11 at age 84.

“We really had great discussions, especially later in life,” Waldman said. “It developed into more of a friendship than a consultant relationship as the years progressed.”

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