Darley sire Any Given Saturday owns a pedigree full of stakes winners and his younger brother Heisman could be the next star on the horizon for the family..  The Todd Pletcher trained colt led throughout to win his maiden at Belmont on Saturday.

Heisman (2c Distorted Humor – Weekend in Indy by A.P. Indy) established a big lead in the straight but came under pressure at the furlong pole from Charlies Swell (Malibu Moon).  He turned back that challenge with determination to score by a nose at the end of 1600m.

Any Given Saturday and his younger brother were both were bred by WinStar Farm and trained by Todd Pletcher.  Their dam Weekend in Indy has also foaled G3 Cicada Stakes winner Bohemian Lady (Carson City) and she descends from Hollywood Oaks winner Hooplah.

Any Given Saturday trained on to win the G1 Haskell Invitational, G2 Brooklyn Hcp and G2 Dwyer Stakes before retiring to stud.  He commands a $25,000 fee at Darley Kentucky and stands for a $13,750 fee at Darley’s Australian base at Northwood Park.

Any Given Saturday’s first Kentucky bred crop have been popular in North America this year.  He topped the opening session of the 2010 Keeneland January yearling sale when a colt from the Deputy Minister mare Pout made $150,000.  He also figured on top of the leader-board at the 2010 Ocala Florida yearling sale when his filly out of Ricki S. (Prized) sold for $280,000.

He has 50 lots catalogued for the Keeneland September yearling sale that goes through to Sunday, September 26.

Any Given Saturday’s sire Distorted Humor was in the spotlight during the opening sessions of Keeneland’s signature sale when his colt out of a Storm Cat mare related to Miesque sold for $2.05 million.  Earlier, his yearling from a half-sister to Swettenham Stud sire Hold That Tiger made $700,000.

Last Saturday was a ground-breaking day for Distorted Humor who stands for a $100,000 fee at WinStar Farm in Kentucky.

Hours before Heisman won in New York, his Irish based colt Pathfork scored a G1 victory in the National Stakes at the Curragh.  He is unbeaten in three starts and was coming off a G2 victory in the Futurity Stakes at the same venue in August.

Pathfork (2c Distorted Humor – Visions of Clarity by Sadler’s Wells) was bred by the Niarchos family’s Flaxman Holdings and is from a stakes winning half-sister to Coolmore sire Spinning World.  He was a $230,000 buy at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Distorted Humor (Forty Niner) stood two seasons at Independent Stallions in Victoria in 1999 and 2000.  The best of his Australian stock was G1 SAJC Australasian Oaks winner Rinky Dink.  

Soon after returning to Kentucky, Distorted Humor sired Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide.  He was represented by another classic winner this year when WinStar colt Drosselmeyer was successful in the Belmont Stakes.