Sustained involvement with the Thoroughbred tends to foster a philosophical attitude. The forward-looking nature of the sport, however, often makes it difficult to embrace the Zen concept of "living in the moment." For example, the most recent weekend was still a week ahead of many of the final Breeders' Cup prep events, and yet it saw the first points-paying races on the roads to the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1), events not to be contested until well into next spring.
The colt's event, the Iroquois Stakes (G3), went to the highly rated Salahudin, a son of Uncle Mo from the family of A.P. Indy, who was a $325,000 yearling. By way of contrast, the first filly to earn points on the classic trail, the Pocahontas Stakes (G3) victress Manuka Honey, was a $19,000 RNA at that same Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale.
Manuka Honey, who scored by 2 lengths, was recording her third win in three starts, having had 7 1/4 lengths to spare in a 5-furlong Churchill Downs maiden special weight June 20, then following up with a 7-length success in the Ellis Park Debutante Stakes.
It's a positive omen for Manuka Honey that her sire Upstart was similarly precocious, but still ultimately showed himself to be very effective at the Kentucky Oaks (G1) distance of 1 1/8 miles. A New York-bred, Upstart captured a 5 1/2-furlong state-bred maiden at Saratoga Race Course by 5 1/4 lengths at first time of asking and then added the restricted 2014 Funny Cide Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs at the same venue. Stepping into open company for his final two starts as a juvenile, Upstart confirmed himself among the leaders of his crop, a second to Daredevil in the Champagne Stakes (G1) being followed by a third, beaten a nose for the runner-up spot by Carpe Diem , in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), won by Texas Red.
Upstart began his 3-year-old campaign in sensational style, taking the Holy Bull Stakes (G2) by 5 1/2 lengths with Frosted and Keen Ice among those behind. Remarkably, however, given the quality of that effort, the Holy Bull was to prove Upstart's only victory of the campaign. He took second in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and Florida Derby (G1) in his next two starts, but came home last of 18 in the Kentucky Derby (G1), having been eased after the first mile. Returning to finish third to American Pharoah and Keen Ice in the Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1), Upstart then ran fourth to Keen Ice, American Pharoah, and Frosted in the Travers Stakes (G1), and a tired fifth in the Pennsylvania Derby (G2).
Remaining in training at 4, Upstart took the Razorback Handicap (G3) on his seasonal reappearance but, rather like his second campaign, a bright beginning raised hopes that weren't quite fulfilled. Only fifth in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2), he rebounded to take third behind a runaway Frosted in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1), and repeated that position, albeit a lot closer, in a contentious renewal of the Whitney Stakes (G1) in his final outing.
Even though he lacked a signature grade 1 victory, Upstart had delivered high-class performances at 2, 3, and 4, was a very good-looking individual, and was a grandson of A.P. Indy via Flatter, a stallion who had carved a very successful stud career despite never having won a black-type event of any description, and having retired at a fee of only $5,000. Thus, Upstart was able to attract 146 mares in his first book when retired to stand in 2017 at Airdrie Stud near Midway, Ky. His statistics following that year then reflect the near-inevitable vicissitudes of a lower-to-mid-range Kentucky commercial sire, with successive crops of 66, 26, 58, and 51 foals.
That first crop produced six stakes winners, the best of which was Masqueparade, successful in the 2021 Ohio Derby (G3). Upstart then hung in tenaciously through the next few years, with the 201 foals in his second through fifth crops yielding 14 stakes winners from 156 starters (a very creditable 9%), among them the 2022 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and 2023 Woodward Stakes (G2) victor Zandon , also runner-up in three grade 1 events and third in the 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1); 2022 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) and Davona Dale Stakes (G2) scorer Kathleen O.; Trademark, successful in the 2023 Clark Stakes (G2); Prerequisite, who took the 2023 Wonder Again Stakes (G2T) and earned second in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T); and the 2025 Delaware Oaks (G3) and Virginia Oaks winner Fondly.
The first crop attracted by Upstart's bright start with his initial 3-year-olds are themselves sophomores of 2026, and so far five have captured black-type events, headed by Percy's Bar, who has shown herself among the best of her division with wins in the Ashland Stakes (G1) and 2025 Debutante Stakes, seconds in the 2025 Alcibiades Stakes (G1)—where she was disqualified from first—Spinaway Stakes (G1), and this year's Test Stakes (G1), and a third in the 2025 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). Manuka Honey is the only stakes winner so far from the 126 juveniles in Upstart's 2024 crop, but it could pay to keep an eye on his daughter High Speed Reed, third to the Pocahontas showgetter, Miss Anna, in her Ellis Park debut, and an impressive winner of a mile maiden at Churchill Downs the day after the Pocahontas.
Manuka Honey is out of Drop Dead Red, a daughter of the grade 2-winning Giant's Causeway horse Hold Me Back. A useful runner, Drop Dead Red won six races, including the non-black-type 2018 Politely Stakes, and also took second in the 2018 Nellie Mae Cox Stakes. She is the dam of three previous foals, all by Heart to Heart, and all winners. Out of the four-time-winning Not For Love mare Stylish Affair, Drop Dead Red is a full sister to the stakes-winning Passion Play and to black-type-placed Hold Me Black.
Manuka Honey's third dam Fabulous Fame was unplaced in three starts, and although she produced nine winners from 10 foals to race, none achieved black type. She was by Cherokee Colony out of the 1982 Athenia Handicap (G3T) victress Middle Stage, a pedigree line that made her a closely related half sister to stakes winner Pleasant Performer and to Colonial Stage, dam of Staged Affair, a stakes winner by Drop Dead Red's broodmare sire Not For Love. Fabulous Fame is also half sister to Middle Prospect, whose Sadler's Wells son Look Honey took the 2003 Prix Eugene Adam (G2) and ran second in the 2003 Grand Prix de Paris (G1).
Middle Stage's dam Patelin was a very good 2-year-old, winning the Selima Stakes, Schuylerville Stakes, and Alcibiades Stakes, running second in the Spinaway Stakes and Matron Stakes and third in the Adirondack Stakes. Subsequently, Patelin became a very important foundation mare, and she is now ancestress of more than 100 stakes winners, 18 group or grade 1, including 2012 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) scorer I'll Have Another; four-time Eclipse Award winner Beholder; seven-time leading sire Into Mischief ; and 1991 champion 2-year-old filly Pleasant Stage, who was by Fabulous Fame's grandsire Pleasant Colony.
Manuka Honey is the fourth stakes winner from 15 starters by Upstart out of mares by Giant's Causeway and sons, the other three, including Zandon and Trademark, being out of mares by Creative Cause . The pedigree has another interesting twist in the third generation with Flatter's dam Praise and Not For Love, the sire of Manuka Honey's second dam. Both are by Mr. Prospector out of Northern Dancer mares, and each goes back to La Troienne (and through the three-quarters sisters Busanda and Striking).
