Star-Crossed Family Produces Derby Hopeful Stronghold

Californians Eric "Rick" Waller and his wife, Sharon, have experienced some thrilling moments since entering racing in the 1990s as owners and breeders, but they've also suffered some deep losses, the kind that can't be measured by noses, heads, or lengths. 

Among the bright spots for the Wallers has been their 3-year-old homebred Stronghold , who is scheduled to make his seasonal debut in the Feb. 18 Sunland Park Derby (G3). Trained by Phil D'Amato, the Ghostzapper   colt is twice graded stakes-placed and is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the $400,000 Sunland Park Derby, which offers Kentucky Derby (G1) points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale to its top five finishers.

From four career starts, Stronghold has a 1-3-0 record with earnings of $144,400. As a member of D'Amato's Kentucky string last year, he finished second in his debut at Ellis Park in late August, before easily winning a one-mile maiden special weight Oct. 1 at Churchill Downs over a field that included Track Phantom , the subsequent winner of this year's Lecomte Stakes (G3) and the 7-2 morning-line favorite for the Feb. 17 Risen Star Stakes (G2).

Two starts in stakes company would follow with Stronghold finishing second to powerhouse Nysos  in the Nov. 19 Bob Hope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar before another runner-up effort in the Dec. 16 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) when beaten less than a length by Wynstock . 

"It's so gratifying to know that sticking with the family that I believed in has paid off," said Rick Waller, who is devoted to studying pedigrees and plans the matings for his small breeding operation. "Stronghold's mother, Spectator, was our first graded stakes winner, and Spectator's second dam, Swiss Diva, was our first graded stakes horse."

STAR-CROSSED FAMILY

It has been a tumultuous family saga that dates back to the late 1990s when the Wallers purchased Stronghold's fourth dam, the stakes-placed Mr. Leader mare, One Stop. They bred One Stop to Swiss Yodeler, producing Swiss Diva in 2004. Swiss Diva , a winner of her first three starts, including the 2006 California Breeders' Champion Stakes, became graded stakes placed in the 2007 Santa Paula Stakes (G3). Upon her retirement in 2009, she had won four races from 14 starts with earnings topping $240,000.

But the narrative takes a tragic turn with Swiss Diva dying due to a ruptured cecum while giving birth to her first foal, Diva's Tribute, a daughter of Henny Hughes  who a week after birth fractured a hock which prevented her from making it to the races.

Frustrating times continued with Diva's Tribute, who early in her broodmare career was anything but a loving and doting mother with her first two foals, Tenacious Heart and Spectator. 

"I had to sell Diva's Tribute at Keeneland in (2015) because she savaged her first foal, an Into Mischief filly named Tenacious Heart. Then, when Spectator was born, the farm called and said Diva's Tribute was getting pretty aggressive with Spectator," Waller recalled. "They took Spectator off of her and put a nurse mare on her. They recommended to me I probably should sell her because they couldn't trust her in the paddock with her own foal, let alone foals of others. It was presented to me as a management issue. I sold her, and Richard Barton out here in California bought her for not a lot of money ($4,700) and worked with her and got her through that. I sent him a letter when he bought her and warned him what to look for. I didn't want it to happen to another foal."

The unimaginable streak of bad luck continued with Spectator, who died giving birth to her first foal, Stronghold. Waller was determined to keep that star-crossed family going, so last year when he saw that Diva's Tribute had a yearling filly by Improbable   in Fasig-Tipton's California Fall Yearlings and Horses of Racing Age Sale, bred and consigned by Richard Barton, he stepped up to the plate and bought her for $200,000. 

"I'm getting emotional just talking about losing Spectator," Waller said with a catch in his voice. "I really wanted to get the family back, and I wanted this Improbable filly because I like that cross with Diva's Tribute. We've named her Pristine. One reason we liked her was that she looks very much like (her half sister Spectator). Both were different looking from their dam. Interesting to note that Pristine's grand sire, City Zip, is half to Ghostzapper, sire of Stronghold."

D'Amato, who also conditioned Spectator, will train Pristine for the Wallers, who are hopeful she will launch her racing career this summer. 

Spectator, a daughter of Jimmy Creed  , won three of nine starts, including the 2017 Sorrento Stakes (G2) as a 2-year-old. She also proved competitive in grade 1 races, finishing second in the 2018 Santa Anita Oaks (G1) and third in the 2017 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1). Before she headed to the breeding shed to be bred to Ghostzapper in 2020, Spectator had earned $323,551.  

In Stronghold, D'Amato sees similarities to his dam.

"Spectator was a filly full of grit and determination, and Stronghold seems to have similar traits," said D'Amato, who for the first time will saddle a runner in the 1 1/16-mile Sunland Park Derby. "In Stronghold, I see a good mix of Ghostzapper and Spectator, who was more of a medium-sized, lighter on her feet kind of horse. I think that's what Stronghold embodies."

In the Sunland Park Derby, D'Amato said he is looking for continued progression from Stronghold.

"Hopefully, we can accumulate enough points to have the chance (to reach the Kentucky Derby)," he said. "Going long against really nice horses, Stronghold has shown that two turns isn't really an issue and that he can compete with the best of them."

For Waller and his wife, who plan on making the trip to New Mexico this weekend, having Stronghold demonstrate stakes-quality ability this early in his career is a healing balm following so much heartbreak with the colt's female family. 

"Needless to say, we have experienced a lot of adversity and obstacles in getting to have Stronghold," he said. "As small breeders, we can only dream about getting a nice horse."