Few breeding applications in current historical past have performed extra to form the trendy North American grime runner than that of Florida’s intertwined Tartan Farms and Francis A. Genter Secure, each below the administration of John Nerud. This was primarily achieved by way of the mixture, and later recombination, of a handful of key strains, notably the stallions Tough’n Tumble (by way of champions Dr. Fager and My Expensive Lady) and Deliberately (by way of In Actuality and champion Ta Wee), and the mares Aspidistra (dam of Dr. Fager and Ta Wee) and Cequillo.
The newest tribute to this system was paid March 7, when The Puma pounced on the head of the stretch to say the Tampa Bay Derby (G3). This was the primary victory for The Puma, who had completed second to Chief Wallabee —crushed a neck within the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) on his subsequent begin—when the pair debuted in a 7-furlong Gulfstream Park maiden particular weight Jan. 10, then completed third within the Sam F. Davis Stakes Feb. 7.
The Puma is from the primary crop of Important High quality  . Solely the third horse this century—following Lookin At Fortunate in 2009-10 and American Pharoah in 2014-15—to earn an Eclipse Award as champion male of his technology at 2 and three, Important High quality went 3-for-3 in his first season, his ultimate two victories of the yr coming within the 2020 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). Though he forfeited his undefeated report at 3, Important High quality demonstrated distinctive consistency on the highest stage at that age, with 5 begins bringing triumphs within the Southwest Stakes (G3), Blue Grass Stakes (G2), Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), Belmont Stakes (G1), and Travers Stakes (G1), and thirds within the Kentucky Derby (G1)—the place he crossed the road only a size behind the primary residence, the subsequently disqualified Medina Spirit—and the Breeders’ Cup Traditional (G1).
Saturday’s victory made the The Puma the fifth stakes winner from the primary crop of Important High quality, following My World , profitable within the 2025 Nashua Stakes and Jan. 3 Jerome Stakes; this yr’s Black Gold Stakes scorer, Black Hornet ; Chopsticks , who took the 2025 Ellis Park Debutante Stakes; and Important Time , winner of the 2025 Intelligent Trevor Stakes.
Photograph: Coglianese Photographs/Ryan ThompsonEve of Conflict wins an allowance race in 2020 at Gulfstream ParkSign up for BloodHorse Day by day
The Puma is the primary foal of his dam, the Declaration of Conflict mare Eve of Conflict , a winner in maiden particular weight and allowance firm, and in addition third within the 2020 Monmouth Oaks (G3). The Puma’s third dam, Bedanken (by the Theatrical son, Geri), was an achieved performer who received 11 races, 9 black kind, together with the 2002 Valley View Stakes (G3T), 2004 Modesty Handicap (G3T), 2004 Bayou Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G3T), and 2002 Honeybee Stakes (G3). Solely certainly one of Bedanken’s 9 winners earned black kind, the 2018 Silverbulletday Stakes third Missive . Nevertheless, her Damaged Vow daughter Maintain Your Promise , a sister to Particular Thanks , the granddam of The Puma, is dam of the present 3-year-old Pace Service provider , a standout in New Mexico-bred firm, the place he is received 5 of seven begins so far, together with the 2025 New Mexico State Truthful Thoroughbred Futurity.
Bendanken is half sister to the 2008 American One Thousand Guineas captress, A lot Obliged , subsequently dam of English juvenile group winner Syphax . The dam of Bendanken, the wining Strawberry Highway mare Danka, is half sister to Ganges, a bunch/graded winner in France and america; to a number of stakes winner Abrojo; and to Apolda.
A daughter of Bendanken’s grandsire, Theatrical, Apolda received the 1996 Joe Namath Handicap (G3T), 1995 Cardinal Handicap (G3T), and 1996 Jenny Wiley Stakes (G3T), she figures as third dam of Argentine grade 1 scorer Big Killing, and third dam of graded scorer Cozze Up Girl , herself dam of grade 1 scorer Kimari and of the Tiz the Regulation  gelding Michael Scofield, winner of the listed Tuwaiq Cup in Saudi Arabia Feb. 14. By way of The Puma’s sixth dam, Satania, a stakes winner and classic-placed in Canada, the household goes again to the famous tap-root mare Legendra. A foal of 1944, Legendra is now ancestress of 213 stakes winners, 22 of them group or grade 1, together with Shareef Dancer, champion at 3 in England and Eire and winner of the 1983 Irish Derby (G1), and Zenyatta , Horse of the Yr in 2010, and champion older feminine 2008-10.
The Puma is certainly one of two stakes winners from 4 starters by Tapit   and his sons out of Declaration of Conflict mares. The cross of Tapit and sons out of mares from the sire line of Declaration of Conflict’s sire, Conflict Entrance  , has 5 different stakes winners together with graded scorers Frost At Daybreak and Private Finest . General, Conflict Entrance and Tapit have already mixed for 16 particular person stakes winners, additionally together with grade 1 winner Halladay  .
To grasp the success of the mixture, and significantly relating to The Puma, we return to the affect of strains emanating from the Tartan Farm/Francis A. Genter Farm applications.
To start: Tapit is out of the minor stakes winner Faucet Your Heels. She is by Unbridled, a son of Fappiano (his dam Killaloe is by Dr. Fager out of a daughter of Cequillo). Unbridled’s granddam is by In Actuality (giving him a double of Tough’n Tumble), and his fourth dam is Aspidistra, additionally the dam of Dr. Fager. In Faucet Your Heels’ household, her second dam, Moon Glitter, can be by In Actuality.
Many of those ancestors seem within the pedigree of Conflict Entrance. He’s out of Starry Dreamer, a daughter of champion sprinter Rubiano, who’s by Fappiano and out of Ruby Slippers, the dam of Faucet Your Heels. So Rubiano and Faucet Your Heels are carefully associated half siblings.
So far as The Puma is anxious, the mixture of Faucet Your Heels and Rubiano is barely the start of the story. Trying on the pedigree of Important High quality, his fourth dam, graded stakes winner Jeano, is by Fappiano out of a mare by In Actuality, so once more inbred to Tough’n Tumble. Moreover, The Puma’s second dam, Particular Thanks, is by Damaged Vow, a son of Unbridled.
Damaged Vow provides his personal Tartan/Genter affect as a son of Unbridled out of a mare by Nijinsky II, as is Faucet Your Heels (the pair being 3×3 within the pedigree of The Puma). Moreover, Rubiano is out of a Nijinsky II mare and Important High quality’s granddam, Contrive is by Storm Cat, who’s a son of Storm Chicken (who has a pedigree related to Nijinsky II). As famous earlier, Rubiano is by Fappiano and Contrive is out of a Fappiano mare.
