On Irish Derby Day, another race may have stolen the show: the Railway S.-G2, a showcase for some of the best two-year-olds, featuring Monarch of Egypt, a much-touted son of American Pharoah (purchased at Keeneland September for $750,000) owned by Peter Brant and the usual Coolmore suspects, trained by Aidan O’Brien, ridden by Ryan Moore, and the highly esteemed Fort Myers, a son of War Front, also Coolmore-owned, out of a Galileo mare, whose second dam is a full sister to the great Giant’s Causeway. But it was the other blockbuster breeder, Juddmonte Farms, whose First Defence colt, Siskin, easily won over the other two, and whose connections include being trained by G.M. Lyons, and ridden by Colin Keane.

First Defence, who stood his last season in North America in 2016, the year Siskin was conceived, makes a big, rugged colt with tons of bone. I had one from his first season at stud, and his coarse handsomeness made him a favorite at my farm. Siskin has the same look, a large, solid, plain bay colt, but his pedigree, pure Juddmonte breeding, makes him stand apart. He is a Who’s Who of Northern Dancer inbreeding, featuring El Gran Senor, Danzig, Lyphard, and the Minstrel, but as usual, and especially in Juddmonte breeding, mares rule the day.

First Defence is a grandson of Broodmare of the Year Toussaud, and his mom herself is no slouch: she’s the Seattle Slew daughter Honest Lady, grade one winner of nearly $900,000. But his pedigree also features Blue Hen Courtly Dee, through the dam of Green Desert (Foreign Courier, by Sir Ivor), Secrettame through Gone West, and Monroe, a daughter of another great Juddmonte Blue Hen, Best in Show, by Sir Ivor. Siskin is tail female Best in Show, one of, arguably, the two greatest mares in the Juddmonte tradition, the other being Toussaud. Hence, Siskin’s dams’ side is packed with as much greatness as his sire’s side, including the three doses of Somethingroyal, through her son Secretariat and her grandson Sir Ivor.

Though First Defence now stands overseas, Juddmonte’s continued success with him is a paean to their breeding program, which depends upon stellar mares in epic proportions. Let us not forget that Juddmonte is trying the Unbridled’s Song route yet again, with their beast of a race horse, Arrogate. No doubt his first book, now on the ground, was filled with some of Juddmonte’s best mares. First Defence, himself a son of Unbridled’s Song, may be abroad, but he is not forgotten, thanks to Siskin.

-- Roberta Smoodin