Thanks to Avalyn Hunter's great book "American Classic Pedigrees," PedigreeQuery, TBHeritage, Les Brinsfield's articles, and other sources for my analyses.
If Nowhere to Hide indeed has nowhere to hide amongst the Derby candidates, his pedigree should prove him to be a legitimate contender for the roses. His sire, Vindication, was a two-year-old champion who never raced at three with a tragically shortened stud career, He was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew out of the graded stakes-winning Strawberry Road mare Strawberry Reason, dam of his graded-stakes winning three-quarter sibling Scipion. Strawberry Road was foaled from the Hail to Reason mare Pretty Reason, dam of graded stakes winner Silver Comet and granddam of Panamanian champion Seductora. Pretty Reason was from Mysore, a daughter of Amarullah, who ran well in several nice stakes as a two-year-old and sported a fantastic pedigree, being by Nasrullah out of Amphora, by Bull Lea. Amphora was from the Teddy mare Tedmelia, tail-female ancestress of the likes of grade I victor and sire Afternoon Deelite, Super Derby winner Soul of the Matter, champion steeplechaser Good Night Shirt, and Sanford Stakes winner Yorkville. Tedmelia’s dam was a full sister to top sire Sunbriar.
Going back to Vindication’s female line, Mysore was out of the Eight Thirty mare Teleran, dam of Jim Dandy winner Cornish Prince; Mysore was from the Pharis mare Tellaris, dam of Valley Forge Handicap winner Tellarian and ancestress of grade II winner Bug Eyed Betty and Venezuelan group II winner Holograma. Tellaris was from Donatella, ancestress of Derby winner Spend a Buck; Donatella was foaled from Adargatis, a French classic winner and top broodmare. Adargatis’ female-line descendants include her sons Arc winner Ardan and Jockey Club Stakes winner Pardal, as well as a group stakes winner. Adargatis’ dam, Helene de Troie, also foaled the remarkable broodmare La Troienne, one of the most important mares of the past century, whose descendants number among them champions Smarty Jones, Busher, Affectionately, and Allez France.
Nowhere to Hide has no blemishes on his female side, either. His dam, Stirring, is by Seeking the Gold out of Daijin, a Canadian stakes winner and dam of top Canadian stakes winner Handpainted and stakes victress Serenading, and granddam of a Japanese stakes winner. Daijin’s dam, Passing Mood, was by Buckpasser, and lived up to her regal heritage and descendants. She foaled Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold, Canadian Triple Crown winner With Approval, as well as other stakes winners. Her sire was the incomparable Northern Dancer and she was out of Canadian classic winner Cool Mood, who was the second dam of Canadian champion Izvestia and the graded winner Key Spirit, fourth dam of Santa Anita Oaks winner Hedonist, Canadian Futurity winner Zaha, Santa Margarita Invitational winner Healthy Addiction, and grade II victor Seeking Daylight, . Her other descendants include Pegasus Handicap winner Pies Prospect, the hardy mare Southern Heat (veteran of 90 starts), and numerous other Canadian and American stakes winners. Cool Mood was foaled from the mare Happy Mood, by Epsom Derby conqueror Mahmoud. Winner of the Acorn Stakes, Happy Mood was the ancestress of multiple graded stakes victress Bending Strings, Kentucky Oaks hero Buryyourbelief, grade I winners Pretty Discreet and Discreet Cat, and others. The next dam, La Reigh, was by Count Gallahad, a uniquely-bred son of Sir Gallahad III out of a daughter of Belmont victor Luke McLuke. La Reigh was from Risque Reigh, by Count Fleet’s sire Reigh Count (also a Derby winner), and was out of the mare Risky, granddam of the good two-year-old Skylarking and top racemare Beaugay. Risky was the fifth dam of numerous stakes winners via her descendant Beau Jet, as well as major English distance winner Silver Patriarch and U.S. champion Key to the Mint.
