Kentucky Derby Pedigree Profile: Sittin On Go

Just how much stamina is packed within the pedigree of Sittin On Go, who kicked off the 2020-21 Road to the Kentucky Derby with a powerful victory in the Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs? The short answer is “lots,” though Sittin On Go also has some speed breeding to balance the long-winded bloodlines coursing through his veins.

Sittin On Go hails from the first crop of foals sired by Brody’s Cause, a two-time Grade 1 winner who excelled racing two turns on dirt. Sufficiently early-maturing to win the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Futurity (G1) as a juvenile, yet durable enough to nab the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass (G1) as a sophomore, Brody’s Cause was known for his strong stretch rallies and routinely held his own against tough competition.

Brody’s Cause, in turn, is a son of the late, great Giant’s Causeway. A six-time Group 1 winner over distances ranging from 7 furlongs to 1 5/16 miles, Giant’s Causeway campaigned primarily on turf, but also handled dirt just fine when finishing second by a neck in the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

At stud, Giant’s Causeway has sired a seemingly equal number of high-class dirt and turf runners, including 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar (an elite grass star) and champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi (winner of the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies [G1]on dirt). Nine of his foals have competed in the Kentucky Derby (G1), including third-place finishers Creative Cause (2012) and Mr. Big News (2020). Another of Giant’s Causeway’s Derby starters, Destin, went on to finish second in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes (G1).

If there’s been a unifying tendency among Giant’s Causeway’s foals, it’s their preference for running long. His progeny win at an average distance of 8.1 furlongs, a lofty number for a stallion based in North America and one thoroughly indicative of the stamina Giant’s Causeway imparts to his descendants.

This is good news for Sittin On Go, who boasts a double dose of Giant’s Causeway’s bloodlines in his immediate pedigree. Sittin On Go’s dam, the stakes-caliber Set’n On Ready, was produced by the Giant’s Causeway mare Laughingly, which means Sittin On Go is inbred 2x3 to Giant’s Causeway.

Yet Set’n On Ready also brings some speed to the equation. She herself was a capable sprinter, winning the 6 1/2-furlong Arizona Juvenile Fillies S. and placing second in the 5 1/2-furlong Juan Gonzalez Memorial S. Her previous foals include Malkia, a five-time winner over distances ranging from a mile to 1 1/8 miles on grass. And Set’n On Ready’s sire is More Than Ready, who has pretty much exemplified the definition of “miler” both on track and at stud.

More Than Ready never won running farther than 7 furlongs, with a victory in the 2000 King’s Bishop (G1) ranking as his signature triumph. But he also had enough stamina to place second in the Blue Grass and fourth in the Kentucky Derby, suggesting the son of Southern Halo wasn’t strictly a sprinter.

With more than 3,000 named foals, More Than Ready has been an incredibly prolific sire responsible for more than 200 stakes winners. As a general rule, his best foals have been sprinters and milers, including two-time Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) winner Roy H and Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner Uni. To reiterate the point a bit more clearly, More Than Ready has sired seven different Breeders’ Cup winners, and all achieved their championship wins running a mile or less.

More Than Ready has shown similar tendencies as a broodmare sire, with his daughters foaling Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) winner Four Wheel Drive and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) winner Structor, both unproven racing beyond a mile.

But the speed-centric nature of More Than Ready’s bloodlines is hardly a cause for panic. To the contrary, such speed has the potential to perfectly counterbalance the stamina of Giant’s Causeway, stamping Sittin On Go as an intriguing contender for the 2021 Kentucky Derby.