Destin on the Fast Track to the 2016 Kentucky Derby

Destin on the Fast Track to the 2016 Kentucky Derby: Full siblings of successful racehorses are not always able to live up to the expectations that are held for them. However, so far, Destin is on the right path to become as good, or better, than his full brother, Creative Cause.

Destin is on the Road to the Kentucky Derby after scoring sensible and appealing victories in both the Sam F. Davis and the Tampa Bay Derby, where in the latter, he set a track record. So far, Destin has 51 points on the leaderboard, putting him in second place alongside Gun Runner, who has the same amount of points. Only Mohaymen has more.

Destin is trained by Todd Pletcher and is ridden by regular rider, Javier Castellano. Twin Creeks Racing, who also owns good racehorses like Red Rifle, owns the $400,000 yearling purchase. The connection also owned top horses like Graydar and Mission Impazible.

Destin, being a full brother to Creative Cause, is sired by top stallion Giant’s Causeway, who stands stud at Ashford for a 2016 fee of $85,000. Giant’s Causeway was never worse than second throughout his entire career. As a racehorse, Giant’s Causeway raced in England and Ireland until his very final start, where he came to the United States in 2000 to try dirt for the first time against a very good horse named Tiznow. The two battled the length of the stretch with Tiznow narrowly prevailing. As a stallion, Giant’s Causeway, he has sired more than ten millionaires, lead by Eishin Apollon, winner of more than $1.3 million. He also has horses like Take Charge Brandi, Carpe Diem, Aragorn (IRE), and Shamardal.

Destin is out of the very good stakes mare, Dream of Summer. The mare won the 2005 Apple Blossom Stakes along with nine other victories in 20 starts. She placed in stakes such as Grade One Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap, the Listed Sunshine Millions Distaff. After finishing second in the 2006 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap, Dream of Summer was sent to the breeding shed. She has produced not only Creative Cause and Destin, her only two stakes winners from four of four to race, she has produced five fillies, only one is a winner, while one is a two-year-old of 2016, who is yet to be named.

Dream of Summer is a daughter of a horse named Siberian Summer, who was a graded stakes winner in his career. He did win the 1993 Grade One Charles H. Strub Stakes at Santa Anita. However, Siberian Summer did his best running at middle distances on either turf or dirt. The horse was very versatile. As a stallion, Siberian Summer sired 13 stakes winners and earners of more than $11.7 million. Dream of Summer was his best offspring and richest millionaire.

Destin, after setting a track record in the Tampa Bay Derby, should get a week or so before returning to training, as long as he comes out of the race well. The next race on his agenda before the Kentucky Derby is undecided, however, wherever he ended up, his stablemate Outwork will be elsewhere. Pletcher is looking at one of three races for both horses: The Wood Memorial, the Blue Grass, and the Arkansas Derby.

The Kentucky Derby is set to run on May 7 this year at the historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

Tampa Bay Derby 2016 Featuring Destin: