Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Captain Cook

Captain Cook handled 1 1/8 miles without difficulty when making his Road to the Kentucky Derby debut in the Withers S. at Aqueduct, pouncing from just off the pace to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

But can Captain Cook stretch out over another eighth of a mile for the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby (G1)? His pedigree suggests 1 1/8 miles might be the upper limit of his distance capabilities.

Certainly that was the case for Captain Cook’s sire, Practical Joke. A son of six-time leading North American sire Into Mischief (who often passes on speed at stud), Practical Joke was a decorated sprinter/miler who won the Hopeful (G1), Champagne (G1), and H. Allen Jerkens (G1) over distances from seven furlongs to one mile.

By the time Practical Joke retired, he boasted a near-perfect 5-for-6 record in one-turn races and an 0-for-6 record in two-turn races. He wasn’t incapable over 1 1/8 miles, finishing second by three-quarters of a length in the Blue Grass (G2) and third by half a length in the Haskell (G1), but it clearly wasn’t his ideal distance. He also recorded the lowest finish of his career when fifth in the Kentucky Derby, his lone try over 1 1/4 miles.

So far, Practical Joke is reproducing himself as stud. Many of his progeny have recorded their biggest wins in one-turn races over one mile or less. Domestic Product won the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, Ways and Means took the Test (G1), Chocolate Gelato nabbed the Frizette (G1), and Skelly, Tejano Twist, Wit, Little Vic, Mufasa, Girl With a Dream, Becky’s Joker, and Richi have all won graded stakes.

Occasionally, Practical Joke sires a talented two-turn campaigner like Practical Move, winner of the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby (G1), 1 1/16-mile San Felipe (G2), and 1 1/16-mile Los Alamitos Futurity (G2). But Practical Joke has yet to sire a major North American winner over classic distances, and his progeny have compiled a speed-oriented average winning distance of 6.6 furlongs.

The bottom half of Captain Cook’s pedigree is a little stouter, but is nevertheless geared toward miles more than classic distances. His dam, Pow Wow Wow, scored her lone victory racing one mile and achieved a graded stakes placing in the seven-furlong Forward Gal (G2). Prior to Captain Cook, her best foal was Bird Ruler, a two-time claiming winner racing one mile and 70 yards.

Pow Wow Wow, in turn, is a daughter of Indian Charlie out of Elusive Bird.

Indian Charlie won four out of five starts, most notably taking the Santa Anita Derby. He started as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby, but tired in the drive to finish third. At stud, his progeny compiled an average winning distance of 6.7 furlongs, with the best of them including champion female sprinter Indian Blessing, champion two-year-old male Uncle Mo, and multiple Grade 1 winners A. P. Indian and By the Moon. All four of those achieved their biggest wins racing 1 1/16 miles or less.

Now, there are some bright spots from a stamina perspective. Indian Charlie also sired Fleet Indian, a multiple Grade 1 winner who showed sufficient stamina to take the 1 1/4-mile Personal Ensign (G1). And daughters of Indian Charlie have foaled 2022 Horse of the Year and 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Flightline plus Kentucky Derby and 1 1/2-mile Belmont (G1) runner-up Hot Rod Charlie, so there’s precedent for Indian Charlie to turn up in the pedigree of long-winded runners.

But can Pow Wow Wow foal a Flightline or a Hot Rod Charlie? The fact her dam is Elusive Bird might be a cause for pause. In addition to Pow Wow Wow, Elusive Bird is the dam of Gorgeous Bird, winner of the 6 1/2-furong Don Bernhardt S.