How to Get Pedigree Information on Kentucky Derby Horses

Pedigree information on a thoroughbred horse is the equivalent of a family seal in European royalty. All of today’s thoroughbreds, approximately 500,000 of them, are descended from the same ancestors: 27 or 28 stallions and 74 mares. All Thoroughbred pedigrees are traced through the maternal line, dating in England back to the General Stud Book founded in 1991 and in America, to the American Stud Book of 1896.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Delve into the pedigree of Kentucky Derby horses with a five- to nine-generation search. This extensive search into a thoroughbred's past provides insight into breeding, earnings and genetic tendencies.
2. Track the width of a thoroughbred's family tree while you get pedigree information on Kentucky Derby horses. Horse breeders use inbreeding and line breeding to produce successful progeny from the same genetic pool. Both are forms of assortative breeding. Linebreeding means that the same horse appears multiple times in the pedigree, while inbreeding means that close relatives have been bred to each other.
3. Pay attention to the female side of the pedigree report to assess the strength of a particular bloodline. Females procreate with multiple male horses to produce competitive progeny that can be sold by the owner.
4. Harness the power of the Internet to find pedigree information on horses in the Kentucky Derby. Online query systems, such as PedigreeQuery.com, provide lineage reports for subscribers interested in Thoroughbreds (see Resources below). You can also visit websites devoted to the breeding, training and racing of Thoroughbreds, like Bloodhorse.com (see Resources below)
5. Bookmark the Kentucky Derby website to keep track of the pedigree information of qualifying horses. The Contenders page features a profile of each thoroughbred qualified for the race, though you have to pay a fee for more than just a brief summary (see Resources below). You can also get data on trainers, owners and jockeys.
6. Contact horse owners and trainers directly to obtain pedigree information on Kentucky Derby competitors. A proud owner with a successful thoroughbred will speak to fans and reporters about the background of the animal. Get the skinny on trainers, owners and jockeys at KentuckyDerby.com (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• Analyze daily reports from journalists familiar with the Kentucky Derby to get indirect pedigree information. Editors and beat writers will provide some background information on Kentucky Derby horses in dispatches about other races.
• Paint a full picture of horses in the Kentucky Derby by conducting a search for progeny. A progeny report allows you to follow a horse's pedigree in future races.