When a 65-1 shot wins the Kentucky Derby, it’s both history and news. But the way Country House won the Kentucky Derby transcended both of those with the disqualification of Maximum Security and what seems sure to be a court battle over that DQ. Maximum Security was clearly the best horse in the race, but Country House, the overlooked Mott trainee with star Tacitus the near-favorite, ran a hell of a race himself.

By Ashford stallion Lookin at Lucky, Country House joins Wow Cat and Accelerate as this sire’s Grade One winners, and now Lookin at Lucky has the rare accomplishment of having sired a Kentucky Derby winner, even though in the annals of the sport the win may, like novice jockeys, have a bug by his name because of the unusual nature of the win.

Because he is overshadowed by the Triple Crown winners standing at Ashford in Versailles, Kentucky, and stands for only $20,000 compared to American Pharoah’s and Justify’s hefty fees, Lookin at Lucky’s accomplishments may have been forgotten. But he was both Champion Two-Year-Old Colt and Champion Three-Year-Old Colt, a Grade One winner at both two and three, and counts among his victories the CashCall Futurity, the Del Mar Futurity, the Preakness S. and the Haskell Invitational S., a pretty good resume even when considered alongside Triple Crown winners.

By Smart Strike and out of the Belong to Me mare Private Feeling, we have the classic Mr. Prospector/Northern Dancer cross at work, though a similar cross creeps in via his third dam, Sharp Belle, who was by the Native Dancer son Native Charger, and out of a Northern Dancer mare, Sleek Dancer.

Country House’s dams’ side reinforces this classic cross, as his dam, Quake Lake, is by War Chant, himself a son of Danzig (note the doubling of Danzig, top and bottom—we see more and more of this lately), and War Chant’s second dam was a daughter of Mr. Prospector, Miss Wildcatter. Go back one more generation to Country House’s second dam, Shooting Party, though, and this cross will be repeated again, as she is by Sky Classic, a son of Nijinsky II, and out of a Jade Hunter mare.

The echoes continue, as Jade Hunter was by Mr. Prospector, out of the Pharly mare Jadana, so the pedigree boasts a dose of Lyphard as well. So Northern Dancer is represented by two doses of Danzig, strengthened by two of his greatest broodmare sire sons, Nijinsky and Lyphard. Mr. Prospector is represented through his sireline by Smart Strike, and through his daughter, Miss Wildcatter, and Jade Hunter’s daughter, Ayanka. Ayanka, by the way, was bred by Allen Paulson, of Cigar fame.

By far the most fascinating aspect of Country House’s pedigree, however, is the doubling, top and bottom, of the great mare No Class, by Nodouble out of Classy Quillo, on the zigzag. Smart Strike’s dam, Classy ‘n Smart, was a daughter of No Class, while Shooting Party, Country House’s second dam, was by Sky Classic, by Nijinsky II as previously mentioned, and out of No Class herself. No Class (1974) was a gorgeous collection of old blood, featuring numerous crosses to Canterbury Pilgrim, his son Chaucer, and Chaucer’s grandson, Hyperion, through the great mare Selene, along with numerous doses of Sir Gallahad II, not to mention the appearance of Swaps’ full sister, Track Medal.

The similarity of No Class’s pedigree to that of another great mare, Continue, must be noted, given both of these mares’ large doses of Double Jay and Nasrullah, and inbreeding to both Hyperion and Popinjay. As well, Classy ‘n Smart was by Smarten, giving Country House’s sire line a big dose of Turn-To, which is mirrored in War Chant’s dam, Hollywood Wildcat, by Kris S., who similarly traces back to Hail to Reason and Turn-To. Finally, No Class’s second dam, Quillopoly, was by Princequillo, perhaps the greatest broodmare sire of all time.

Another great mare makes a cameo appearance as Country House’s fourth dam—Al’s Charm, by Al Hattab, and out of Like a Charm. Al Hattab was by The Axe II, a son of Mahmoud and Blackball, a granddaughter of La Troienne, which harkens back to the La Troienne in the sire’s side, through Belong to Me. Add in more Nasrullah and Sir Gallahad II’s full brother, Bull dog, and the pedigree of the putative Derby winner makes even more sense.

This is a runner’s pedigree, certainly. Not as blue-blooded as Tacitus’ pedigree, but, then, no other horse may be as well bred as Tacitus. And Tacitus didn’t win the Derby. It’s not a beauty contest, nor is it a pedigree contest. An old trainer of mine used to say that there are ten thousand variables in any given race. This year’s Derby proved that there may be even more.

-- Roberta Smoodin