Malibu Moon's 2015 Crop Rises With Classic Potential

The road to this year's American classic races has only enhanced Malibu Moon 's reputation as a reliable sire of top performers. Spendthrift Farm's 21-year-old son of A.P. Indy is represented by several potential starters on the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) leaderboards.

"(Malibu Moon) has had very few prolonged cool streaks throughout his career," Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey said. "He has been very, very consistent. ... The last couple of years have just been remarkable—some of his best years ever at stud."

Malibu Moon's top candidates are his undefeated son Magnum Moon, who took the March 17 Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park and ranks fifth on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, and Heavenly Love, who sits 17th on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with 10 points earned from her 2017 Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) victory.

The sire is also represented by Derby contenders Greyvitos and Hollywood Star. Greyvitos has 10 points from a victory in the Dec. 17 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes and sits at No. 21. The colt has not yet raced in 2018. Hollywood Star has five points from a second-place finish in the 2017 Iroquois Stakes (G3) and a fourth in the Feb. 10 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3). He is entered in the March 25 Sunland Derby (G3), which offers the top four finishers 85 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby on a 50-20-10-5 scale.

Malibu Moon's daughter Moonshine Memories also has 10 points with a 2 3/4-length victory in the Chandelier Stakes (G1), but missed training time with a slight fever and will eye the Test Stakes (G1) as her main summer target. His daughter Fly So High—also no longer on the Oaks trail—earned 50 points when she was the three-length winner of the March 3 Davona Dale Stakes (G2), but suffered a suspensory injury with that score.

Magnum Moon and Moonshine Memories were produced from the cross of Malibu Moon with Unbridled's Song mares, which has been particularly successful. The cross has produced four (13%) black-type stakes winners from 30 starters. By comparison, the sire line crossed with other broodmare sires has produced 8% stakes winners from starters. This cross is also represented by grade 2 winner Farrell and black-type winner J Serino.

"We've always felt that, in theory, Unbridled's Song mares ought to work really well with him," Toffey said. "I've always had two thoughts on that. One, if you just look at the pedigree pattern, it sets up, because you're inbreeding to Mr. Prospector through Fappiano (with Mr. Prospector being Malibu Moon's broodmare sire). 

"And then, physically, Malibu Moon is a really heavily muscled, powerful horse, and Unbridled's Song is kind of a leggy and (longer) type. I always thought that was a good complement."

Malibu Moon's progeny have shone particularly bright during the past couple of years. Of the sire's 14 grade 1 winners, five scored at the highest level since 2016: Ransom the Moon, who won the Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) as a 4-year-old in 2017; Carina Mia, who scored in the Acorn Stakes (G1) as a 3-year-old; Gormley , whose first top-level score came as a 2-year-old in the FrontRunner Stakes (G1); Moonshine Memories, who took the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) along with the Chandelier; and Heavenly Love.

The other nine grade 1 winners by Malibu Moon accomplished their wins between 2004 and 2013, highlighted by 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb . 

Another cross that has worked particularly well with Malibu Moon is that of daughters by sires from the Hail to Reason sire line. The cross has produced 12 stakes winners—a 16% rate. Carina Mia, whose broodmare sire is Southern Halo (by Halo), and Devil May Care and Ransom the Moon, who are both out of mares by Red Ransom (Roberto), account for three of his grade 1 winners. 

Others hailing from the tail-male Hail to Reason broodmare sire line include grade 2 winner Perfect Moon (whose broodmare sire is Parfaitement); grade 3 winners Bobina (Dynaformer), Kiss Moon (Kris. S.), and Moonwalk (Red Ransom); plus the grade 1-placed stakes winner By the Light (Major Impact).

"There's certainly no shortage of a sample of information about what works and what doesn't work," Toffey said. "Breeders as a group are pretty savvy, and we try to let that work for us. We've never really tried to micromanage his book, because there are so many breeders that are so good at this, and they bring different approaches to the table."