Pedigree

Crown of Thorns is by Repent, who finished 13th on last year's Leading Freshman Sire list. After winning the Kentucky Cup Juvenile (G3), Repent finished a fine second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) to Johannesburg, defeating the likes of Officer and Came Home. As a three-year-old Repent won the Risen Star S. (G3) and the Louisiana Derby (G2), but his career highlight came later that year via a game second in the Travers S. (G1) where he fell short of catching Medaglia d'Oro by just a half-length. Repent is out of the stakes-placed Cipayo mare Baby Grace (Arg), who is also the dam of King Ruckus (Bold Ruckus), the 1994 champion older horse and sprinter in Canada. Those stamina limitations did not apply to Repent, a son of Preakness S. (G1) winner and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) runner-up Louis Quatorze, who has sired successful route runners.

Crowning Touch, the unraced dam of Crown of Thorns, is a half-sister to the 1997 champion sprinter Smoke Glacken. This could also suggest that Crown of Thorns will be best suited to shorter distances, but it must be noted that while Smoke Glacken was by the speed influence Two Punch, Crowning Touch is by Thunder Gulch. Indeed, Thunder Gulch proved his stamina in winning the Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont S. (G1) and Travers and is responsible for dual classic winner and Horse of the Year Point Given. Thunder Gulch's Average Winning Distance as a sire is 7.8 furlongs.

Runners by Repent are showing improvement with age, and with stamina being passed on from both sides of his pedigree, there is little to suggest that Crown of Thorns will not be suited to the Derby distance.