Freshman Sire Profile 2017 – Ironicus

Ironicus

Distorted Humor – Meghan’s Joy, A.P. Indy

Enters Stud 2017 at Claiborne Farm for a fee of $7,500

Race Record

Ironicus was lightly raced throughout his career but especially early on.  He made only one start at two and four at three, winning only a maiden special weight as a young horse.  He blossomed at four and five becoming a multiple graded stakes winner and setting a course record at Saratoga.  At four Ironicus won the Longines Dixie (G2) at Pimlico in his stakes debut.  He added a victory in the Bernard Baruch (G2) and a second in the Fourstardave (G2) both at Saratoga.  He set a track record in the Bernard Baruch for a mile and one sixteenth on turf.  Ironicus’ best and most frustrating season came at age five.  He won only a single race, the Fort Marcy (G3) but was narrowly second in both the Manhattan (G1) behind Flintshire and the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) behind Miss Temple City.  In his career finale he ran a creditable fourth in the Breeders’ Bowl Mile.

Pedigree

Ironicus comes from one of the greatest female families of the twentieth century.  He traces tail-female to the great La Troienne.  La Troienne produced two members of the Hall of Fame, Bimelich and Black Helen but she is most remembered through the many stakes winners produced by her matrilineal line.  Those include champions like Buckpasser and Easy Goer and recent Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver.  La Troienne is the eighth dam of Ironicus, through her daughter Big Hurry.  While much could be written about all eight of those mares we’ll start with Glowing Tribute, Ironicus’ fourth dam.  She was named 1993 Broodmare of the Year after producing Kentucky Derby winner Sea Hero, among her six graded stakes winning offspring.  Those include Wild Applause by Northern Dancer who is Ironicus’ third dam.  Wild Applause produced stakes winners and sires Roar (Forty Niner), Eastern Echo (Damascus) and Blare of Trumpets (Fit to Fight), as well as graded stakes winner Yell (A.P. Indy).  Wild Applause’s daughter Queens Wild would seem to be the black sheep of the family as she produced no stakes winners but she did get Meghan’s Joy (A.P. Indy) who was stakes placed.  She in turn has produced six stakes winners, including Ironicus all by six different stallions – Norumbega (Tiznow), On Leave (War Front), Hunting (Coronado’s Quest), Quiet Harbor (Silver Deputy) and Seal Cove (Strong Hope).  Ironicus is of course by Distorted Humor, a grandson of Mr. Prospector.  Sire of Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide and four other champions, Distorted Humor is one of the leading sires in both the United States and the sim.  He is out of a Danzig mare and has crossed well when more Northern Dancer is added to his foals.  Belmont Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Drosselmeyer is inbred 4×4 to Northern Dancer, while Champion Pathfork is inbred 4×3 to Northern Dancer.  Flower Alley, the leading son at stud by Distorted Humor is inbred 4×4 to Northern Dancer and 3×3 to Mr. Prospector, another common inbreeding among the best foals of Distorted Humor.

In The Sim

In the game Distorted Humor has produced five End of Year winners including Hall of Fame member Distorted Storm.  Three of those EOY runners have Storm Cat as DS while the fourth is out of an Aptitude mare.  Distorted Humor has a number of other grade one winners out of mares by Storm Cat or his son Giant’s Causeway as well as other representatives of the Seattle Slew line like Aptitude including Slew himself and A.P. Indy.  He has at least three grade one winners from Sadler’s Wells mares and the Deputy Minister line is well represented through that sire and his son Awesome Again and grandson Ghostzapper.  Distorted Humor’s son Flower Alley continues the family’s affinity with the Storm Cat line but has also done well when crossed back with mares from the Mr. Prospector line.

Breeding Recommendation

It would be easy to suggest that crossing Ironicus with mares by Storm Cat and Giant’s Causeway but really in the sim they go well with just about anything.  A more interesting strategy would be to cross Ironicus back with other descendants of La Troienne.  Bluegrass Cat would combine both the Storm Cat line and La Troienne as he traces tail female back to her.  His close relative Super Saver would be another option as would mares by Mineshaft or Easy Goer.  Mineshaft would give inbreeding to A.P. Indy as would another son who carries La Troienne, Girolamo.