Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Timberlake

Can Rebel (G2) winner Timberlake become the third son of Into Mischief to win the Kentucky Derby (G1)? Only time will tell, but the bay colt is trending in the right direction.

Runner-up in the seven-furlong Hopeful (G1) as a juvenile at Saratoga, Timberlake joined the Road to the Kentucky Derby with a decisive four-length victory in the one-mile 2023 Champagne (G1) at Aqueduct. His brilliance as a sprinter/miler at age two is understandable, since Into Mischief displayed similar early-maturing prowess with a triumph in the 1 1/16-mile CashCall Futurity (G1) at age two.

For the most part, Into Mischief is known as a source of speed at stud, with his best runners including Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) heroes Goldencents and Life Is Good, Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) winners Gamine and Covfefe, and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) heroine Wonder Wheel.

But Into Mischief has also sired capable classic performers. In 2018, Into Mischief's Florida Derby (G1) winner Audible finished third in the Kentucky Derby behind Triple Crown winner Justify. In 2020, Authentic won the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on his way to earning Horse of the Year honors. And in 2021, Mandaloun won the Kentucky Derby via disqualification.

Mandaloun likely inherited stamina from dam sire Empire Maker, winner of the 1 1/2-mile Belmont (G1) and the grandsire of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. A mix of speed and stamina is often the winning pedigree recipe for the Kentucky Derby, and blending the bloodlines of Into Mischief and Empire Maker to produce Mandaloun is just one of many successful examples.

Fortunately for Timberlake, he’s bred along similar lines, and his victory in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel to kick off 2024 indicates he's running to his pedigree. Timberlake's dam is Pin Up, who showed sufficient stamina to win racing 1 1/2 miles and 1 3/4 miles in the UK. Prior to Timberlake, she foaled Al Qaqaa, a two-time winner over distances from 1 1/4 miles to 1 1/2 miles.

Pin Up is a daughter of Lookin At Lucky out of All My Loving, which is about as stamina-oriented a pedigree as you can hope to find. Lookin At Lucky needs no introduction; the two-time champion won the 1 3/16-mile Preakness (G1) and is the sire of Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Country House plus Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) hero Accelerate, who won four Grade 1 races over 1 1/4 miles.

As for All My Loving, she placed in the Epsom Oaks (G1) and Irish Oaks (G1) racing 1 1/2 miles and is the dam of Thomas Chippendale, a two-time Group 2 winner racing 1 1/2 miles.

With the stamina of Pin Up supporting the speed of Into Mischief, Timberlake has the pedigree to shine racing 1 1/4 miles on the first Saturday in May.