Volatile (foaled March 20, 2016) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 2020 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap.[1]
| Volatile | |
|---|---|
| Breed | Thoroughbred |
| Sire | Violence |
| Grandsire | Medaglia D'Oro |
| Dam | Melody Lady |
| Damsire | Unbridled's Song |
| Sex | Colt |
| Foaled | March 20, 2016[1] |
| Country | United States of America |
| Breeder | Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc. & Stretch Run Ventures |
| Owner | Three Chimneys Farm and Phoenix Thoroughbred III |
| Trainer | Steve Asmussen |
| Jockey | Ricardo Santana, Jr. |
| Record | 6:5-1-0 |
| Earnings | $341,040 |
| Major wins | |
| Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (2020) | |
| Last updated on May 12, 2026 | |
Background
editVolatile was bred in Kentucky by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Stretch Run Ventures, Volatile is the second stakes winner from his 10-year-old dam, the stakes-winning Unbridled's Song mare Melody Lady . Her first, Buy Sell Hold, a full sister to Volatile, won the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs for trainer Steven Asmussen in May 2017.[2]
Volatile's second dam, Lady Tak (by Mutakddim), excelled sprinting at Saratoga, winning the Grade I Test Stakes and Ballerina Handicap there.[2]
Volatile was an $850,000 purchase by Kerri Radcliffe Bloodstock and Three Chimneys Farm from the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency consignment at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.[2]
Racing career
editVolatile's first race was on July 13, 2019, at Ellis Park, where he came in first in a Maiden Special Weight race. He placed 2nd in an Allowance race on September 14, 2019, at Churchill Downs, then began a three race winstreak.[1]
He grabbed an Allowance race victory on November 3, 2019, at Churchill Downs, and then picked up an Allowance Optional Claiming victory at Oaklawn Park on April 24, 2020.[1]
Volatile picked up his first stakes win on June 6, 2020, at the Aristides Stakes. He came in as the 1/2 odds-on favorite and came within two one-hundredths of a second off of the track record during the win, defeating Honest Mischief and winning $100,000.[3][4]
On July 25, 2020, at Saratoga, Volatile won the 2020 Grade I Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap. Volatile came into the four horse field as the heavy favorite at 2/5 odds and defeated Whitmore, who came in 2nd.[5][6]
On September 21, 2020, the owners announced that Volatile suffered "a hairline fracture of his right front cannon bone", and as a result was to be retired.[7]
Statistics
edit| Date | Distance | Race | Grade | Track | Odds | Field | Finish | Winning Time |
Winning (Losing) Margin |
Jockey | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 – three-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Jul 13, 2019 | 6 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight | Ellis Park | 9.00 | 9 | 1 | 1:10.84 | 3⁄4 length | Rayan Gazader | [8] | |
| Sep 14, 2019 | 6 furlongs | Allowance | Churchill Downs | 5.50 | 9 | 2 | 1:09.41 | (1+1⁄4 lengths) | Ricardo Santana Jr. | [9] | |
| Nov 3, 2019 | 6 furlongs | Allowance | Churchill Downs | 0.70* | 7 | 1 | 1:09.10 | 3 lengths | Ricardo Santana Jr. | [10] | |
| 2020 – four-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Apr 24, 2020 | 6 furlongs | Allowance Optional Claiming | Churchill Downs | 1.20* | 11 | 1 | 1:08.48 | 7+1⁄2 lengths | Ricardo Santana Jr. | [11] | |
| Jun 6, 2020 | 6 furlongs | Aristides Stakes | Listed | Churchill Downs | 0.50* | 6 | 1 | 1:07:55 | 8 lengths | Ricardo Santana Jr. | [12] |
| Jul 25, 2020 | 6 furlongs | Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap | I | Saratoga | 0.40* | 4 | 1 | 1:09.61 | 1+1⁄4 lengths | Ricardo Santana Jr. | [13] |
Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Volatile was the post-time favourite.
Stud career
editFollowing the announcement of his retirement, it was also announced that the horse would stand stud at Three Chimneys Farm starting from the 2021 season.[7] To date, his most successful progeny is T O Elvis, a Japanese-trained horse who has won the Capella Stakes in Japan and the Churchill Downs Stakes in the United States.[14]
In 2026 Volatile stood for US$10,000.[15]
Notable progeny
editc = colt, f = filly, g = gelding
| Foaled | Name | Sex | Major Wins |
| 2022 | T O Elvis | c | Churchill Downs Stakes (2026) |
Pedigree
edit| Sire Violence (USA) (2010) |
Medaglia D'Oro (USA) (1999) |
El Prado (1989) | Sadler's Wells (1981) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lady Capulet (1974) | |||
| Cappucino Bay (1989) | Bailjumper (1974) | ||
| Dubbed In (1973) | |||
| Violent Beauty (USA) (2003) |
Gone West (1984) | Mr. Prospector (1970) | |
| Secrettame (1978) | |||
| Storming Beauty (1998) | Storm Cat (1983) | ||
| Sky Beauty (1990) | |||
| Dam Melody Lady (USA) (2010) |
Unbridled's Song (USA) (1993) |
Unbridled (1987) | Fappiano (1977) |
| Gana Facil (1981) | |||
| Trolley Song (1983) | Caro (IRE) (1967) | ||
| Lucky Spell (1971) | |||
| Lady Tak (USA) (2000) |
Mutakddim (1991) | Seeking the Gold (1985) | |
| Oscillate (1986) | |||
| Star of My Eye (1990) | Lucky North (1981) | ||
| Dangerous Star (1967)(Family 21-a)[17] |
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 "Volatile". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- 1 2 3 King, Byron (July 25, 2020). "Volatile Always in Command in Vanderbilt The 4-year-old son of Violence raced six furlongs in 1:09.61". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ "Notes & Quotes from the Aristides Stakes: Volatile Sets Track Record". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ↑ "Volatile Flies in Aristides". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ↑ "Volatile wins fourth straight in G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ↑ "Volatile lives up to hype in Grade 1 Vanderbilt Handicap". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- 1 2 Mitchell, Eric (2020-09-21). "Volatile Retired Due to Injury, Enters Stud in 2021". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 2026-05-04.
- ↑ "Ellis Park: Chart of Maiden Special Weight (race 7)" (PDF). Equibase. July 13, 2019. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Churchill Downs: Chart of Allowance September 14, 2019 (race 6)" (PDF). www.equibase.com. September 14, 2019. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Churchill Downs: Chart of Allowance November 3, 2019 (race 8)" (PDF). www.equibase.com. November 3, 2019. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Churchill Downs: Chart of Allowance Optional Claiming April 24, 2020 (race 9)" (PDF). www.equibase.com. April 24, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Aristides Stakes Listed (race 8)" (PDF). equibase.com. 6 June 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (Grade 1 - race 10)" (PDF). www.equibase.com. 25 July 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ↑ Hackbarth, Chelsea (2026-05-02). "Elvis In The Building! Japan Upsets Churchill Downs Stakes". Paulick Report. Retrieved 2026-05-04.
- ↑ Angst, Frank (May 2, 2026). "T O Elvis Delivers for Japan in Churchill Downs Stakes Kentucky-bred is first grade 1 winner for his sire Volatile". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ "Volatile". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ↑ "Wagtail – Family 21-a". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Archived from the original on 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2013-06-09.