PURELY PEDIGREE

Will California Chrome end the Triple Crown drought? He very well may, but no one knows for sure until the gates spring open tomorrow. I was always told that pedigree is the tabulation of performance and, while California Chrome's immediate forebears are not the most illustrious, he already has the Kentucky Derby and Preakness trophies in his gallery. Here is my assessment of the contenders for the 146th Belmont Stakes, listed in order of how appropriate their pedigrees are to the mile-and-a-half classic test.

Tonalist (Tapit--Settling Mist, by Pleasant Colony)

Tonalist/M Kizenko

Tapit (by Pulpit out of an Unbridled mare), the 2004 G1 Wood Memorial winner, has become one of the most popular stallion on these shores with the likes of champions Stardom Bound and Hansen. His daughter Careless Jewel triumphed over 10 furlongs in the 2009 G1 Alabama S., and Untapable looked unbeatable in annexing this year's G1 Kentucky Oaks. Settling Mist scored just once in 19 starts, but did so by 14 lengths going nine furlongs at Aqueduct. She is a daughter of the long-winded Pleasant Colony, who secured wins in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Wood Memorial in 1981 before finishing third in his Triple Crown quest. Settling Mist's half-sisters Easter Bunnette and The Bink have produced top-notch distance runners in the form of Horse of the Year Havre de Grace and multiple Grade 1 winner Riskaverse, respectively.

Wicked Strong (Hard Spun--Moyne Abbey, by Charismatic)

Wicked Strong/M Kizenko

Hard Spun, a son of Danzig out of a Turkoman mare, had an excellent 3-year-old season in 2007, winning the King's Bishop at seven furlongs and finishing second over 10 panels in the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic. From just three crops of 3-year-olds, Hard Spun has been represented by Alabama heroine Questing and a Mother Goose winner in Zo Impressive. Moyne Abbey, a daughter of Kentucky Derby/Preakness victor Charismatic, broke her maiden at 8 1/2 furlongs, and is a half-sister to stakes winners Gulch Approval and Approval Rating, both of whom did their best running at middle distances. Student Council, winner of the 10-furlong Pacific Classic, is under the third dam.

Commissioner  (A.P. Indy--Flaming Heart, by Touch Gold)

Commissioner/M Kizenko

With a sire and broodmare sire who both scored wins in the Belmont (1992 and 1997, respectively), Commissioner seems to have a pedigree tailor made for the "Test of the Champion." Indeed, the handsome colt was runner-up to Tonalist in the G2 Peter Pan S. four weeks ago. However, his half-brother Laugh Track was second in the 2013 Breeders' Cup Sprint, and I'm the Tiger, who is further down the family tree, had his biggest victory in the Frank DeFrancis Memorial Dash. 

California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit--Love the Chase, by Not for Love)

California Chrome/M Kizenko

Lucky Pulpit--by Pulpit out of a Cozzene mare--was bred to appreciate route races, but notched his three career victories in sprint contests, although he did manage a second in the 2004 G2 Santa Catalina S. This year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness star is one of Lucky Pulpit's three stakes winners from five crops. California Chrome's first two dams did little on the track, but they were sired by Not for Love (Mr. Prospector--Dance Number) and Polish Numbers (Danzig--Numbered Account), respectively, a pair of choicely bred Phipps runners who became successful regional stallions in Maryland. His third dam Chase the Dream, a daughter of Sir Ivor, was represented by Amourette, who notched a win over 11 furlongs in the 2001 renewal of the Robert G. Dick Memorial S. on the turf at Delaware.

Matuszak  (Bernardini--Golden Sonata, by Mr. Prospector)

Bernardini, hero of the Preakness, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup during his championship 2006 season, has already sired a pair of Travers winners in Stay Thirsty and Alpha, suggesting he passes on stamina, much like his sire A.P. Indy. Matuszak is out of Golden Sonata, a daughter of Mr. Prospector who was a Grade 3 winner at 8 1/2 furlongs. Down under third dam Pass a Glance (a Buckpasser mare foaled in 1971) are European Group 1 winners Hernando and Johann Quatz. 

Ride On Curlin (Curlin--Magical Ride, by Storm Cat)

Curlin, a dual Horse of the Year and beaten a nostril in the historic 2007 running of the Belmont, was represented by "Test of the Champion" winner Palace Malice last year from his first crop. Ride On Curlin was purchased for only $25,000 despite a nice-looking catalogue page. His dam Magical Ride placed in the 2006 Adirondack at Saratoga, and she was a daughter of Storm Cat and Victory Ride (Seeking the Gold), herself a winner of the G1 Test S. and runner-up in the G1 Acorn. Victory Ride's sibling River Flyer landed the G1 Hollywood Derby.

Matterhorn (Tapit--Winter Garden, by Roy)

(See Tonalist above for Tapit's info). Matterhorn's dam Winter Garden bankrolled over $900,000 while performing mainly in six- and seven-furlong contests in Canada, and is a granddaughter of Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Phoenix Factor. Despite her propensity for sprinting, Winter Garden has already produced Title Contender, a son of Pulpit who scored in both the Ohio Derby and British Columbia Derby last year.

Commanding Curve (Master Command--Mother, by Lion Hearted)

Master Command, a son of A.P. Indy and a multiple graded stakes winner at nine furlongs, died during his third season at stud in 2010. The well-bred chestnut sired G1 Hollywood Derby hero Unbridled Command in addition to Commanding Curve, this year's Kentucky Derby runner-up. While his dam Mother notched only two sprinting wins for trainer Bob Baffert, she is a daughter of Lion Hearted, another Maryland-based stallion from the Phipps Stable (he was a son of Storm Cat from Cadillacing, a full-sister to champion Easy Goer). Mother's family is light on black-type, but the classy Proper Reality, a three-time Grade 1 winner of $1.7 million, is under the fourth dam.

General a Rod (Roman Ruler--Dynamite Eyes, by Dynaformer)

Roman Ruler, winner of the Haskell on the track, has already been represented by a Belmont winner in the form of Ruler on Ice, who upset the 2011 running of the 12-furlong classic. General a Rod is out of Dynamite Eyes, a daughter of stamina-influence Dynaformer and Buckeye Search (Meadowlake), a stakes winner at a mile. She hails from the distant family of Kentucky Derby/Preakness winner Majestic Prince.

Medal Count (Dynaformer--Brisquette, by Unbridled's Song)

Medal Count is one of the last representatives of the late Dynaformer, an exceptional stallion whose best runners preferred longer distances, including 2006 Kentucky Derby hero Barbaro and 2010 Melbourne Cup victor Americain. His dam Brisquette, a daughter of leading sire Unbridled's Song, showed her best form at one turn, including a runner-up effort in the six-furlong Las Flores in 2003 for trainer Richard Mandella. Prior to Medal Count, Brisquette produced the precocious Garden District, a Dixie Union filly who won the Debutante S. as a juvenile.

Samraat (Noble Causeway--Little Indian Girl, by Indian Charlie)

Noble Causeway, who recently died from laminitis complications, was a well-bred son of Giant's Causeway who ran second in the 2005 Florida Derby; his second dam was Classy Cathy, whose three Grade 1 wins included the 10-furlong Alabama. Samraat is out of Little Indian Girl, whose lone victory in eight outings came going a mile and a sixteenth at Gulfstream. She is a half-sister to Mother Goose winner Nonsuch Bay.