Mr. Z

Possibly one of the most recognizable 2-year-olds in 2014, Mr. Z danced nearly every dance during that year's campaign.

Breaking his maiden in late June, Mr. Z went on to place second in four graded stakes races including the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity. During his run from June to November, he only finished worse than second twice. Those runs both were fifth-place finishes, in the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill and in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita.

Mr. Z closed out his 2-year-old season with a runner-up finish by a nose in the $1-million Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes and a third-place finish by a head in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity.

He started out his 3-year-old season with a third-place finish, in which he veered out badly in the stretch, in the Smarty Jones Stakes. Two starts later, the colt made sure he had enough points to get into the Kentucky Derby when finishing third in the Arkansas Derby.

After finishing 13th in the Kentucky Derby and fifth in the Preakness Stakes, Mr. Z got back on track with a win in the Ohio Derby. He then finished second in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby before unplaced finishes in teh Grade 1 King's Bishop Stakes and Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby.

Mr. Z was purchased for $135,000 as a yearling and his dam is a half-sister to champion Chief Bearhart and Grade 1 winner Explosive Red. Farther back in his female family is influencial sire Mr. Prospector and Panama champion Private Zone.