By Elaine Belval
In this blog, I try to highlight the “lesser known” stallions or regional stallions — stallions that can get overlooked in the big picture. But sometimes it is impossible to ignore the big guns, and this week, after siring the winner of the G1 Malibu S. and the dam of the winner of the G1 La Brea S. at opening day of Santa Anita’s winter/spring meeting, Distorted Humor was just not going to be denied.
Distorted Humor’s son Jimmy Creed won the G1 Malibu for owner Spendthrift Farm, breeder Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, and trainer Richard Mandella. The G1 Malibu was his first stakes victory, but earlier in the year he finished second in the El Cajon S. and third in the G1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship. The soon-to-be four-year-old’s only off-the-board performance in seven starts was a ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Â Incidentally, Jimmy Creed is a son of G1 La Brea SW Hookedonthefeelin, by Citidancer.
With Jimmy Creed’s victory in the Malibu, Distorted Humor now has 14 G1 winners in North America and, including one by his son Any Given Saturday, five unrestricted SWs with Dixieland Band-line mares. Distorted Humor, who has been a top ten N.A. sire in seven of the last eight years, is currently ranked eighth on the General Sire List with over $8 million in progeny earnings.
Book Review, the winner of the G1 La Brea, is by Giant’s Causeway out of Distorted Humor’s daughter Clever Babe. Book Review is owned and bred by Gary and Mary West and trained by Bob Baffert. This was her first G1 victory after a listed stakes win earlier in the season.
Distorted Humor had his first runners in 2000 and first SWs as a broodmare sire in 2008, with U. S. Cavalry and Enjoy the Score. Book Review is the sixth SW in 2012 out of a Distorted Humor mare. Another, G2 winner Reneesgotzip, ran a close second in the La Brea. While Distorted Humor now has 15 SWs as a broodmare sire, Book Review is his first G1 winner.  It is important to remember that Distorted Humor spent the first few years of his stud career at $12,500, covering more modest mares. In 2003, he still stood for a moderate $30,000. His better-bred daughters began to appear in later crops so certainly, the best is yet to come for him in that regard. (As a final note, Book Review’s dam is a foal of  2004 and Reneesgotzip’s dam is a foal of 2000).
Distorted Humor stands at WinStar Farm in Kentucky, where his 2013 fee is $100,000.