Mint Lane Captures Dwyer Stakes
Winner's Pedigree Includes Danzig, Mr. Prospector, Majestic Light
Mint Lane's July 4th weekend was a celebration for his connections as his pedigree showed up in the Dwyer Stakes (July 6) and the 3-year-old dominated the stretch to win the $200,000 race of 1-1/16 miles in time of 1:44.29.
Eibar Coa jockeyed the pretty reddish bay to the winner's circle 2-3/4 lengths ahead of Tizbig, a son of the champion Tiznow. Leading at every point of call in the race, Mint Lane was all business as he put away his competitors with impressive acceleration.
Northern Dancer and Buckpasser Present
Mint Lane's ancestry includes:
- daddy - Maria's Mon (1993), by Wavering Monarch (1979) -- Carlotta Maria (1984)
- Wavering Monarch by Majestic Light (1973) -- Uncommitted (1974)
- Majestic Light by Majestic Prince -- Irradiate
- Uncommitted by Buckpasser -- Lady Be Good
- mama - Sister Girl (1992), by Conquistador Cielo (1979) -- Scipio (1987)
- Conquistador Cielo by Mr. Prospector (1970) -- K.D. Princess (1971)
- Mr. Prospector by Raise a Native -- Gold Digger
- Scipio by Danzig (1977) -- Forlis Key (1982)
- Danzig by Northern Dancer -- Pas de Nom
Maria's Mon has sired 38 stakes winners. Monba, this year's Blue Grass Stakes victor, and graded stakes winners Wait a While and Criminologist are among those champions. Standing at Pin Oak Stud, owned by Josephine Abercrombie, Maria's Mon died from multiple organ failures last year.
Finishers Also Well Pedigreed
With his pedigree, Mint Lane is an automatic let's-see-what-he-can-do colt. The second and third place finishers are also high on the ancestry stepladder. Tizbig's daddy is a two-time, rare back-to-back Breeders' Cup Classic winner. Tiznow triumphed in 2000 and 2001, with Chris McCarron aboard.
Pascal, sired by Menifee, is out of the Caerleon mare La Pascua. He placed third in the Dwyer, 4-3/4 lengths behind Tizbig. Menifee battled Charismatic through the first two Triple Crown races in 1999.
Mint Lane Connections
Bred in Kentucky by Pope McLean, Sr. and Pope McLean, Jr., Marc McLean, William Schiffman, and Lee Clark, Mint Lane is owned by Pinebloom Stable (Headley Bell) and trained by James A. Jerkens.
Bell oversees operations at Mill Ridge Farm and heads Nicoma Bloodstock, an agency based in Lexington. Mill Ridge Farm is owned by Bell's mother, Alice Chandler, and Dr. John Chandler, his father-in-law.
Hall of Fame trainer, H. Allen Jerkens, father to James, trains Tizbig.
Dwyer Prep to Bigger Jim Dandy and Travers
The Dwyer Stakes is considered a prep race to Saratoga's Jim Dandy Stakes and Travers Stakes. Mint Lane should see some highly touted company in one of those two contests. Other finishers in the Dwyer were Web Gem, Halo Najib and Ready's Image.
Earlier in the year, Mint Lane went second to Casino Drive in the Peter Pan Stakes.
