Pedigree Insights: Metaboss

Saturday, Golden Gate Fields 
EL CAMINO REAL DERBY-GIII, $200,525, GGX, 2-14, 3yo, 1 1/8m (AWT), 1:49 4/5, ft. 
1–#@METABOSS, 122, c, 3, by Street Boss 
     1st Dam: Spinning Yarns (SP, $189,416), by Free House 
     2nd Dam: Belle Story, by Bien Bien 
     3rd Dam: Bags of Pace, by Shadeed 
($10,000 wlng ’12 KEENOV; $60,000 2yo ‘14 
BESMAY). O-M J Arndt, S M McFetridge, D Preiss, M 
Metanovic & C Azcarate; B-Mr & Mrs John A Toffan 
(KY); T-Jeff Bonde; J-Alex O Solis. $120,000. 
Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-1, $177,520. Werk Nick 
Rating: C. Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 
Click for the brisnet.com chart or the brisnet.com PPs. VIDEO. 
When TDN published a list of the most prolific sires of this year’s Triple Crown nominees on Feb. 1, the list–naturally enough–read pretty much like a Who’s Who of American stallions. 

Topping the table with 14 was America’s most sought-after stallion, the $300,000 Tapit. Among his nearest rivals were several more of America’s highest-priced stallions, such as Tiznow (2015 fee $75,000;12 nominees), Giant’s Causeway ($85,000;11), Malibu Moon ($95,000; 10), Medaglia d’Oro ($125,000; 9), War Front ($150,000; 9), Candy Ride ($60,000; 8), Distorted Humor ($100,000; 7) and Smart Strike ($100,000; 7). 

There were several interlopers, though, from the mid-priced division, including Curlin ($35,000; 12 nominees), Lookin At Lucky ($25,000; 10), Quality Road ($35,000; 10) and Super Saver ($35,000; 9). However, arguably the most surprising name among these leading sires was that of Street Boss, a stallion whose fee has stood at $10,000 for the last three years. Even in 2011, when his eight Triple Crown nominees were conceived, his fee was no higher than $17,500. 

Bearing in mind that his 2012 crop–his third–numbers fewer than 60 named foals, it is surely a feather in Street Boss’s cap that he has one more nominee than his sire Street Cry, who stood at $150,000 in 2011. He also has one more than Street Cry’s Kentucky Derby-winning son Street Sense, who commands a $35,000 fee. 

Besides his modest fee, Street Boss seemed a slightly unlikely source of so many Triple Crown contenders on the basis that he had been a sprinter–even allowing for the fact that Mr. Prospector, Our Emblem, Distorted Humor, Elusive Quality and Boundary have all sired recent Kentucky Derby winners, despite having made their names principally as speedsters. 

Together with Street Sense and the mighty Zenyatta, Street Boss was a member of Street Cry’s highly accomplished first crop, and–again like Zenyatta–he didn’t really make his presence felt until he was four. By the time he landed the odds in the GI Triple Bend Invitational H. over seven furlongs, he had built a record of six victories from 10 starts. A second Grade I success followed later in the month when Street Boss proved too good for Calculator’s sire In Summation in the Bing Crosby H. His time of 1:08.67 in the Bing Crosby constituted a track record, as did the 1:07.55 he had earlier recorded in landing the GIII Los Angeles H. 

It was therefore a bit disappointing when he failed to extend his winning sequence to six in the GI Ancient Title S., failing by half a length to catch the former claimer Cost of Freedom after a two-month absence. He next started favorite for the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint, but was outpointed by Midnight Lute and Fatal Bullet. Retirement to Darley immediately followed, with his initial fee set at $25,000. 

Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised by Street Boss’s elevated position among the Triple Crown sires, as he had also figured prominently when the Experimental Free Handicap was published a few days earlier. Three of Street Boss’s sons–Highway Boss, Soul Driver and Bench Warrant–had qualified in the lower levels of the Experimental. Soul Driver and Bench Warrant figure among Street Boss’s Triple Crown octet, along with Dekabrist, Dunne Hall, Face of Winner, Gangster, King of New York and Metaboss. 

Two of the eight went some way towards justifying their nomination last weekend, with Metaboss taking the GIII El Camino Real Derby a day before Bench Warrant justified favoritism in the Baffle S. 

As Bench Warrant’s win came over 6 1/2 furlongs on turf, Metaboss looks the more likely Triple Crown candidate, though his victories have so far come on turf and all-weather. That these two sons of Street Boss have largely avoided dirt up to now isn’t too surprising in view of Street Boss’s own career, which was spent entirely on all-weather surfaces. 
While Metaboss may still have to prove his ability on dirt, his pair of victories over a mile and an eighth has proved that he possesses much more stamina than his sire. Indeed he races as though the Triple Crown distances will be within his compass, and it is reassuring that Street Boss’s second crop featured Danza, who followed up a decisive victory in the GI Arkansas Derby with a fine third behind California Chrome at Churchill Downs. 

An encouraging aspect of Metaboss’s profile is that there’s every reason to think that he will continue to progress. After all, he has had only five starts and is by a stallion who didn’t show his best form until he was four. More importantly, he has a May 17 birthday, so is still well short of his actual third birthday. 

It isn’t hard to understand why Metaboss possesses more stamina than his sire. His two grandsires, Street Cry and Free House, were both major winners over a mile and a quarter. Whereas Street Cry won the G1 Dubai World Cup, Free House took the GI Pacific Classic and the GI Santa Anita H., having earlier finished second or third in all three legs of the Triple Crown. Metaboss’s dam, the stakes-placed Spinning Yarns, did well on turf and all-weather, collecting nearly $190,000 during a career spanning four years. 

Metaboss’s second dam, Belle Story, is a daughter of Bien Bien, a stallion who stayed particularly well. Having won the GI Hollywood Turf Cup over a mile and a half at three, Bien Bien later boosted his total of Grade I successes in the Hollywood Turf H. (over a mile and a quarter), San Luis Rey S. (over a mile and a half) and San Juan Capistrano H. (over a mile and three-quarters). He later passed on a full measure of stamina to his son Bienamado, who also triumphed in the Hollywood Turf Cup and San Juan Capistrano. Belle Story’s versatile brother Buckland Manor was another good son of Bien Bien, but he collected the bulk of his earnings at around a mile on turf, once finishing second in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. 

For what it’s worth, Metaboss’s female line traces back to some famous names. His eighth dam is Bee Mac (Hopeful S. and Spinaway S.) and his ninth dam is Baba Kenny (Matron S. and Acorn S., and fourth dam of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Alysheba).