Pedigree

Blackberry Road is a well-bred colt. He's by Grade 1 winner Gone West, a son of the great Mr. Prospector who is out of the stakes-winning Secretariat mare Secrettame, and Gone West has proven to be an excellent source of speed and stamina. A full brother to the Grade 2-winning sprinter Lion Cavern, Gone West is the sire of champion sprinter Speightstown and Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) hero Johar. Grade 1-winning millionaires Da Hoss, Came Home, West By West and Lassigny are by Gone West. His son Commendable captured the 1 1/2-mile Belmont S. (G1) in 2000. The 24-year-old stallion is still looking for his first Kentucky Derby winner, but Gone West is the sire of Elusive Quality, who is responsible for dual classic winner and once-beaten champion Smarty Jones.

Blackberry Road's dam, Grade 3 winner Strawberry Reason, provides plenty of further quality. The 16-year-old mare is distinguishing herself as an outstanding broodmare. She has produced undefeated two-year-old champion Vindication, successful in the 2002 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), and Grade 3 winner Scipion.

Strawberry Reason is by stamina influence Strawberry Road (Aus), an Australian Horse of the Year who went on to capture Group 1 events in Europe and finish second in the Breeders' Cup Turf. Her broodmare sire, Hail to Reason, has been an outstanding influence. Among his sons are Halo, himself the sire of two Kentucky Derby (G1) winners in Sunny's Halo (1983) and Japanese sire sensation Sunday Silence (1989); champion and noted sire Roberto, who figures as the paternal grandsire of the ill-fated 2006 Kentucky Derby hero Barbaro; Horse of the Year Personality; 1967 Kentucky Derby king Proud Clarion; and many other classy horses.