After Cornice‘s marching to a door-to-end victory in the American Pharoah S. (G1) at Santa Anita, it seems safe to say that two of the fastest horses of the early 2010s combined to produce the one of the fastest Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders of the early 2020s.

Corniche’s elite pedigree is one of the reasons he sold for $ 1.5 million at the age of two in training. Any racing fan who followed the sport in 2010 will surely remember Corniche’s dad (Quality Road) and dam (Wasted Tears) as both were tremendous trailblazers when it comes to graduated stakes.

Speed ​​was a serious weapon for Quality Road, a quadruple Grade 1 winner, whose iconic victories included a gate-to-wire score in the Metropolitan H. (G1) and a 12 3/4 demolition in the Donn H. ( G1). Better known as a miler who could carry his speed through nine stages, Quality Road was also a brilliant sprinter. He won Saratoga’s 6 1/2-furlong Amsterdam S. (G2) in a record time of 1: 13.74.

Wasted Tears was not as accomplished as Quality Road, but the fast mare won six Grade 2 and Grade 3 awards, ranging from one mile to 1 1/8 miles on turf. Four of her ranked wins came consecutively in 2010, the same year she placed in the Matriarch S. (G1).

So what does all of this mean for the long term potential of the Corniche? There are a few takeaways. Corniche is elevated to travel a mile or more, as it has been demonstrated quite clearly in the American Pharoah. But he also has the pedigree to handle multiple racing surfaces.

Aside from the obvious factors at play here – Quality Road was a dirt horse, and Wasted Tears excelled on turf – there’s the Quality Road stud record to consider. If it seems that his offspring can perform under all circumstances, it is because they can.

Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Abel Tasman and Breeders’ Cup heroine Juvenile Fillies (G1) Caledonia Road were champions who ran long on gravel. City of Light and Bellafina were winning freshman sprinters who also won top tier prizes at a mile or more. Spring Quality won the Manhattan S. (G1) at 11/4 miles on turf, Hootenanny won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) and Frank Conversation and Princess La Quinta took category 3 victories on synthetic.

You get the picture.

Some of the genetic versatility of Quality Road can be inherited from its father, Elusive Quality. A talented sprinter and miler, who succeeds both on dirt and turf, Elusive Quality has spawned Category 1 winners on dirt, turf and synthetic, including Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Raven’s Pass and Kentucky Derby / Preakness winner S. (G1) Smarty Jones.

The Wasted Tears family also contributes some multi-surface adaptability to Corniche’s pedigree. His best colt before Corniche was the filly Coffee Crush, who placed against the turf stakes company. But Wasted Tears’ mother Wishes and Roses gave birth to stakes winning dirt routers Wishingitwas and Almost Certain, so there is more to the Wasted Tears family than grass.

With all of these things together, there’s no reason to think the Corniche won’t enjoy the 11/4 mile Kentucky Derby. But if he falters on the first Saturday in May, he will at least have the opportunity to change surfaces later.