Mister Big won his third derby of the season Saturday in the Adequan Retama Derby Challenge at Retama Park.

© Coady Photography

Q-RACING JOURNAL—AUGUST 11, 2014— Mister Big is having quite a year. The Jerry Windham homebred is now 5-for-7 this year, including four consecutive wins. They include victories in the $167,300 Sam Houston Derby (G3), $48,589 TQHA Sires’ Cup Derby and, this weekend, victory in the$58,680 Adequan Retama Derby Challenge.

The gelding has now won five of 12 career starts and earned $149,314. Mister Big is by Shazoom and out of the Mr Jess Perry mare Jess An Illusion.

Shazoom is a 21-year-old son of Takin On the Cash owned by Luciano Beretta.

A stakes winner and Grade 1-placed runner in his racing career, Shazoom from 15 crops to race has sired the earners of more than $22.5 million. These include 612 winners from 890 starters (68.7 percent) and 64 stakes winners (7.2 percent). Among his runners are champions Shining Sky ($494,009) and Lett Her Zoom ($309,167), as well as one of the leaders of this year’s aged divisions, Bon Accord.

But the heart of Mister Big’s pedigree, at least for his breeder, is on the bottom side of his pedigree.

Jess An Illusion is a winning daughter of leading sire and champion Mr Jess Perry and out of Windham’s great champion mare Indigo Illusion.

Jess An Illusion won or placed in four of 10 career starts and earned $10,041. Like many mares before her, she herself would not be hugely successful on the track, but she would serve as a conduit of speed gifted to her by her champion parents and, in turn, gifted on her foals. To date, she has produced six winners from seven starters with cumulative earnings of just shy of $700,000.

Her first foal, by Shazoom, was Jess Zoomin. He debuted in 2008 and raced for Jess Zoomin Partners, and had the tough luck of playing bridesmaid to another Windham-bred named Stolis Winner.

Stolis Winner would close the year as world champion, but Jess Zoomin made him work for it – Jess Zoomin finished second in his Heritage Place Futurity (G1) and third in his All American Futurity (G1). As a derby horse, Jess Zoomin would contest the Dash For Cash Futurity (G1), finish second in the Texas Classic Derby (G1) and third in the Championship at Sunland Park (G1). Jess Zoomin retired to stud with earnings of $461,126.

In 2010, Jess An Illusion would produce the Shazoom mare Jess A Swingin, who would run second in the TQHA Sires’ Cup Futurity (RG2) and earn $33,306 in her career.

She has two 2-year-old colts, both yet unstarted, Grand Ilusion (by Shazoom) and Seize The Win (by PYC Paint Your Wagon).

And this is a wonderful time to celebrate her dam, the great Indigo Illusion.

The 1981 daughter of Beduino (TB) out of the Duplicate Copy mare Copy Capri, Indigo Illusion comes from a fruitful dam line. She is one of its brightest stars, and did so in a 30-race career that saw her win or place in 24 of them.

A six-time stakes winner, this Wednesday, August 13, will mark 31 years since her biggest career victory – a half-length win in the $853,380 Faberge Special Effort Futurity.

Indigo Illusion also won the 1984 Rainbow Derby (G1) and 1985 Vessels Maturity (G1), and would retire with career earnings of $867,417 and honors as the 1983 champion 2-year-old filly.

As a producer, she would see 12 of her 14 starters finish as winners. Her first foal as Grade 2 winner Illusive Feature (by Truckle Feature, $64,289).

Her third foal was Magic Dozen (by Easy Dozen, $289,338), who would win the 1991 Graham Farms and Kansas futurities, both Grade 1 races, and continue on as a sire.

Then there was First Place Dash (by First Down Dash, $64,160), a Grade 2 winner who began an explosive stud career before dying far before his time. From only 150 starters, he sired 103 winners (69 percent) and 18 stakes winners (12 percent), with average progeny earnings of $31,624 per starter.

Streakin Sixes (by Streakin Six, $77,765) was a stakes-placed runner and Grade 1 finalist in his career, and then headed to stud, where he has sired the earners of more than $4.7 million, including iron-legged champion Miss Kips Streakin ($335,288).

Gone First (by First Down Dash, $38,770) was a stakes-placed runner and Grade 1 finalist.

Indigo Illusion died in 2007 and joined Windham in the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2012.

Mister Big certainly has big family shoes to fill, but fortunately he is tracking right up.

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