Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Disco Time

A determined rally from 10 lengths off the pace carried Disco Time to victory in the 1 1/16-mile Lecomte (G3) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

With three victories from as many starts, Disco Time has emerged as a serious contender for the 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1). But is the Derby’s testing 1 1/4-mile journey within Disco Time’s distance capabilities? His pedigree gives off mixed signals.

Disco Time is a son of Not This Time, a talented runner who won the Iroquois (G3) and placed second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) racing 1 1/16 miles. Unfortunately, Not This Time didn’t race beyond age two—nor beyond 1 1/16 miles—so we never found out if he could handle classic distances as a three-year-old.

As a son of three-time leading North American sire Giant’s Causeway—a strong stamina influence in pedigrees—one might assume distances up to 1 1/4 miles would have been within reach for Not This Time. But it’s important to note Not This Time’s dam is Miss Macy Sue, winner of the six-furlong Winning Colors (G3) and the dam of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) conqueror Liam’s Map. So the pedigree of Not This Time actually contains a blend of stamina and speed.

Fittingly, Not This Time is siring both sprinters and route racers at stud. Champion three-year-old male Epicenter won the 1 1/4-mile Travers (G1) and finished second in the Kentucky Derby and 1 3/16-mile Preakness (G1). Up to the Mark won the 1 1/4-mile Manhattan (G1) and placed second in the 1 1/2-mile Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1). Next is the dominant marathon dirt racer in the United States, winning a bevy of stakes over distances from 1 3/8 miles to 1 3/4 miles.

On the sprinting front, Not This Time has sired record-setting Jaipur (G1) winner Cogburn, Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) hero Sibelius, Madison (G1) conqueror Just One Time, and Del Mar Debutante (G1) winner Princess Noor.

Since the progeny of Not This Time can fall on either end of the distance spectrum, perhaps the dam side of Disco Time’s pedigree can provide guidance on whether he’ll prove best as a sprinter or router.

Disco Time’s dam is Disco Chick, a Pennsylvania-bred mare who won four stakes during an accomplished 42-start career. Speed was the name of the game for Disco Chick; all 10 of her wins came sprinting seven furlongs or less, and her lone graded stakes placing—a third in the Honorable Miss H. (G2) at Saratoga—came dashing six furlongs.

That’s not surprising since Disco Chick is a daughter of Jump Start. Although Jump Start had the pedigree to shine running long, he scored his lone graded stakes win in the 6 1/2-furlong Saratoga Special (G2), and at stud his progeny have compiled a speed-oriented average winning distance of 6.8 furlongs.

Now, that’s not to say Jump Start has never sired runners with stamina. Rail Trip won the 1 1/4-mile Hollywood Gold Cup (G1), Prayer for Relief won several graded stakes over 1 1/8 miles, Pants On Fire took the 1 1/8-mile Louisiana Derby (G2), and Icabad Crane ran third in the Preakness. But the latter three seemed best running shorter than 1 1/4 miles, and even Rail Trip achieved most of his graded wins over 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/8 miles.

This sprints-and-short-routes tendency is also evident is Jump Start’s record as a broodmare sire. His daughters have foaled Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Full Serrano, the multiple Grade 1-placed sprinter Amy’s Challenge, and 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) runner-up Alluring Star, to name a few.

On the bright side, Full Serrano did finish a close second in the 1 1/4-mile Pacific Classic (G1), and daughters of Jump Start have foaled a few horses who achieved success running long on turf in Japan, including 1 1/2-mile Yushun Himba (G1) runner-up Harper and 1 1/4-mile Tanabata Sho (G3) winner Red Radiance. Plus, prior to Disco Time, Disco Chick foaled Bright Spark, a capable dirt route racer who has won running as far as 1 3/16 miles.

Taking all of these factors together, it’s not impossible to envision Disco Time handling 1 1/4 miles in the Kentucky Derby. But the dam side of his pedigree suggests there’s a greater chance racing 1 1/8 miles or less will prove to be his strong suit.