We've written on more than one occasion in this column about the tendency of a stallion's performance to decline with age, even when they have been at the highest level, and even when they continue to receive top-class mares. A tendency, however, is not the same as a hard and fast rule, and there was a reminder of that March 8 at Tampa Bay Downs, when the winners of the two graded stakes for 3-year-olds were sired by a pair of esteemed veterans.
The Florida Oaks (G3T) went to Nitrogen, whose sire, Medaglia d'Oro , was 22 years old at time of conception, and the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) fell to Owen Almighty, who was conceived when his sire, Speightstown, was 23 years old. We should note, though, although both stallions have sired high-class runners late into their career, neither has been immune to the age-related decline: Medaglia d'Oro has 20 stakes winners, 13 graded, in his last four crops (foaled 2019-22) (with only two stakes winners, neither graded, from 90 foals in his 2021 crop) compared to 35 stakes winners, 22 graded, in his previous four crops (foaled 2015-18).
Speightstown's most recent four crops have yielded 16 stakes winners, three graded (including two crops with no graded winners), compared to 41 stakes winners, 22 graded, from the four crops prior to that.
Owen Almighty, who set a sedate pace in the Tampa Bay Derby before sprinting clear in the stretch to score by 3 1/2 lengths from two-time grade 1 winner Chancer McPatrick, currently sits second on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard, and all being well he will head to Churchill Downs for the first Saturday in May, but at time of writing, it's more likely to be in the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) than the Kentucky Derby (G1).
That would seem to make sense given both Owen Almighty's run style and speed-oriented pedigree. He scored over 5 1/2 furlongs in an Ellis Park maiden special weight on his debut at 2, and followed up with a win in the Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes, before ending the year with a second to Jonathan's Way in the Iroquois Stakes (G3). First time out this term, he dueled on the lead in the seven-furlong Pasco Stakes, but after crossing the wire a length to the good was disqualified for interference caused to an unplaced runner on the backstretch. In the local prep for the Tampa Bay Derby, the Sam F. Davis Stakes, he battled on the front end with John Hancock before yielding by a half-length.
Owen Almighty's sire, Speightstown, earned an Eclipse Award as champion sprinter in 2004 at the age of 6. His becoming good at that time was more a function of a series of injuries, including a shoulder fracture, than of late maturity. In fact, Speightstown did make it to the races at 2, but would make only nine starts over the next three seasons. At 6, he won five of six starts, including the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), Churchill Downs Handicap (G2), True North Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2), and Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G2). Speightstown retired to stud at WinStar Farm in Kentucky, where he remained for his entire stud career, and died in late 2023 at age 25.
As a sire he has been represented by some high-class runners that stayed 1 1/4 miles such as Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winners Olympiad and Haynesfield, 2012 Travers Stakes (G1) dead-heater Golden Ticket, as well as Seek Again, Force the Pass, and Competitionofideas, who all scored over that trip on the grass. Despite that he's generally more associated with sprinters and milers such as the late Rock Fall, Charlatan —who did carry his speed 1 1/8 miles in the 2020 Arkansas Derby (G1)—Tamarkuz , Dance to Bristol, Flagstaff, Jersey Town, Switzerland, Reynaldothewizard, Lexitonian , Mozu Superflare, Prince of Monaco , Mona de Momma, Echo Town , Lighthouse Bay, and Poseidon's Warrior .
Owen Almighty's dam, Tempers Rising, won over 1 1/16 miles at 2, and, in 2020, took second in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), third in the Silverbulletday Stakes, and fourth in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Her sire, Bayern, stayed 1 1/4 miles well enough to win the 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), but needed ideal circumstances to carry his speed that far, and he also took the seven-furlong Woody Stephens Stakes (G2) by 7 1/2 lengths that year.
Tempers Rising is half sister to Mac the Man, by a grandson of Speightstown's sire, Gone West, and winner of the 2013 96Rock Stakes and Turfway Prevue Stakes. The granddam, Marchmont, is half sister to the 1991 Cradle Stakes (G3) scorer Wolf Brigade, and to the dam of stakes winner Force of Nature, that stakes-winning duo both by Wolf Power.
With Owen Almighty's fourth dam, Dame Fritchie, we reach the first mare of real consequence in the female line. A daughter of the Count Fleet horse, Count of Honor, she was inbred 3x2 to Bull Dog, with Honor Bound, the dam of Count of Honor, and So Proudly, the dam of Dame Fritchie, both being Bull Dog/Man o' War crosses. This pedigree didn't produce immediate dividends, as Dame Fritchie, a foal of 1959, won three of 37 starts, for earnings of just $14,095. At stud, however, she produced four stakes winners, headed by Rest Your Case, winner of the 1971 Hopeful Stakes, and she appears in the tail-female line of another 90, among them 1983 champion older horse Bates Motel; Optimistic Gal, successful six times at the highest level; 2001 South African champion 3-year-old male Aries Diamond; Exciting Story, who took the 2001 Metropolitan Handicap (G1); group 1-winning siblings Tangerine Trees and Alpha Delphini; and other grade 1 winners Hatim, Spanish Queen, and Spendarella.
Speightstown has sired three stakes winners from just 10 foals out of Wild Again-line mares, with Owen Almighty the only graded scorer, but beyond that Owen Almighty has a rather intriguing pedigree pattern. He's inbred 3x4 to Speightstown's broodmare sire, Storm Cat. Less obvious is the connection between Speightstown and Bayern's broodmare sire, Thunder Gulch: Speightstown is a Mr. Prospector/Storm Bird cross and Thunder Gulch is Mr. Prospector/Storm Bird.
