Derby Post #3: AB FAB – The True Hollywood Story
AB FAB
3yo Dk B or Br Colt by Awesome Again – Independence Day, by A.P. Indy
12 lifetime starts, with 7 wins, 1 second, 2 thirds. Lifetime earnings: $619,970.
The veteran Dolphinman stable’s speedy homebred squeaks into the Bluegrass Derby field as the 17th ranked 3yo colt at the Classic distance of 10 furlongs. You may already know that AB FAB is a 4 time Graded Stakes Winner in both sprint and route races, at 2 and 3 as well. He’ll be ridden by D. Hogin from post position #3, offering a salty 16-1 for any of his supporters. But all that info wasn’t enough info for me, so I decided to take a closer look.
AB FAB is the resulting foal of an early 2005 breeding (2003 in SIM time) of the quality sire Awesome Again (Deputy Minister) to the retired mare Independence Day (A.P. Indy). The pairing was quite ambitious, or maybe prescient, as Independence Day failed to break her maiden in 20 lifetime starts, and had previously thrown two average horses (sired by Point Given and Jade Hunter) who combined to win only 5 starts from 71 trips to the post. Independence Day was the first foal from the ‘original stable’ mare Prospect Well (Mr. Prospector), who remained a career maiden until her 26th start on her way to 4 wins and just over $52,000 in earnings.
The family showed promise with Prospect Well’s next foal, Kiwi Krunch(NZ) (Zabeel), a stakes winner of over $230,000 and still going strong. Indeed, the prospects are looking up for this line to continue into a 4th generation, including the undefeated 2yo half-sister to AB FAB named Doll’s House (Smart Strike).
Dolphinman shares the breeding rights to Independence Day, being the 5th and final trainer to acquire the mare, most likely at the claim box in week 1152 (year 2001 for you newcomers!) Not a bad way to pick up the dam of a future Derby participant! We tried looking for some insight into the pairing of Awesome Again (winner of the 1 ¼ mile Breeders Cup Classic, among others) to a daughter of A.P. Indy (Belmont Stakes, Breeders Cup Classic). Seems like a moot point, right? Both colts relished the Derby distance and provide a nice outcross of Native Dancer and Bold Ruler inbreedings, which are so very potent in the SIM gene pool. Questions, however, arise when you look at the best resultant SIM offspring:
Offspring (Awesome Again / A.P. Indy) Dam’s Dam Sire Best Distance (SP, class)
AWESOME APPEAL (VALID APPEAL) 9f 108 Alw
AWESOME AFFAIR (BLACK TIE AFFAIR) 9f (T) 116 STK
INDY’S AWESOME CAT (STORM CAT) 9f 99 Alw
BRUJO (3yo) (FORTY NINER) 7.5f 97 Alw
AB FAB’s stats, of course, will be discussed later, and have not been included in this table. But it is clear that there is a diversity of outcomes and expectations, with an established ceiling of 9 furlongs for a ‘best effort’. That’s not to say these horses couldn’t compete at the Derby distance, it’s more likely that they are not ultimately bred to excel at 10 panels, at least not on the first Saturday in May.
AB FAB, unfortunately, still has question marks, like many of the other Derby entrants. He burst onto the scene as a 2yo with unexpected precocity, reeling off 3 straight, including the prestigious Grade II Vermont BB Juvenile, which attracts the best 2yo sprinters at that time of the year (including the legendary Sunnybank Memorial back in 2003.) Wheeled back in 4 weeks for a hometown stakes race, he came up short as the odds-on chalk, but rebounded in a big way to take the Grade III Little Tree Stakes 7 weeks later. His stalk-and-pounce style was becoming very refined at the 6 furlong distance, now sporting a 5-4-1-0 record.
His next start would be a true test, the Grade I GSR Diamond, at a flat mile. His first start around 2 turns was promising, but he and 12 others just could not catch the breakaway Koorawatha (Fusaichi Pegasus), who has not won a race since. AB FAB released a solid run from mid-pack to be second at the head of the lane, but was nipped by 2006 Florida Derby winner Rhibus (Kingmambo) in the final yards for 3rd. His final speed figure of 92 and change may have been a slight disappointment, but reasonable considering the hike in class and experimental distance. Dolphinman had him closer to the pace in his next two, and it worked brilliantly as he reeled off two more stakes wins (including a Grade III), both at a mile.
He closed out his 2yo campaign with a return to Grade I company in the Movieland Futurity at 8.5 furlongs. It appears AB FAB was the victim of an amazingly fast pace, as he stalked from 5th but could not advance late, finishing off the board and seven lengths back. The top three finishers, including Derby horses San Pelligrino and Virtuoso, were 8th, 13th, and 11th at the first call, indicating a Giacomo-like suicide pace. Indeed, the pacesetter was the aforementioned Koorawatha, who finished dead last.
Apparently undaunted, Dolphinman confidently dropped his steed back in distance one month later, where AB FAB manhandled a nice bunch of sprinters in his 3yo debut, the Grade III Special Bid Stakes. The big surprise was that he clicked off 6 panels in 1:09 3/5th, while being closer to the pace than ever before, and drawing off with something more in the tank. It is ever more puzzling, perhaps, that AB FAB’s speed was not apparent in his next two starts, both route races. He ran an even third to the vastly improved Derby co-favorite Alastor (Squirtle Squirt) on just 2 weeks rest in a listed stake at Arkansas, then ran a credible 4th in the tough Grade II Louisiana Derby after 7 weeks on the sidelines. In that, his last Derby prep now 8 weeks ago, he chased the speedy Toxicsuperfreakout (Orientate) and the dangerous Derby co-favorite So Slew Me (Belong To Me).
So what lies ahead? AB FAB comes into the Derby on quite an unorthodox prep schedule, having never raced beyond 8.5 furlongs, using a two-month layoff before the big dance, and having his last win in a 6 furlong sprint? Only the trainer knows for sure. But there could be some method behind the madness…having wrapped up a significant number of stakes points, there was no need to press AB FAB to be competitive in his later preps. His speed evident, it is possible that Dolphinman attempted to ‘put some bottom’ in his horse by bringing him off the pace in his last two. And with only 2 starts in the last 16 weeks, this horse couldn’t be anything other than fresh and tearing the barn down. The race is not loaded with early speed other than Toxicsuperfreakout, who looks like he wants no part of a mile and a quarter. So if AB FAB can sit right off his nemesis’ flank, inherit the lead around the 3/16 pole, and have a little left in the tank, we might be looking at the likely winner! You can bet that the Dolphinman connections will be rooting for that Awesome Again and A.P. Indy influence to kick into high gear.
But in order for that to happen, a lot of the existing Derby-winner trends must be shattered. Rules and trends are made to be broken, and as we know all to well, a good horse can come from ANYWHERE…even a third-generation homebred from a winless maiden!