Which two Triple Crown winners are in the pedigree of 2008 NCHA Derby open finalist Silverado Prom Queen?

If you guessed Smart Little Lena, you are half-right. Docs Okie Quixote? Wrong.

Silverado Prom Queen, ridden by Roy Carter to place 16th in the NCHA Derby, is out of 2000 NCHA Super Stakes champion JR Colord Prom, whose paternal grandsire is NCHA Triple Crown winner Smart Little Lena. Her dam, JR Colord Prom, traces her pedigree back to Thoroughbred champion War Admiral, winner of the 1937 Triple Crown.

After being voted Horse of the Year for 1937, War Admiral, who was sired by the incomparable Man O’War, suffered a stunning defeat by Seabiscuit, in one of the greatest match races of the last century. Seabiscuit, who recently enjoyed a revival in popularity following the publication of a book and subsequent movie based on his career, was sired by Hard Tack, by Man O’War.

Although Man O’War won the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, he never had the opportunity to vie for the Triple Crown. His owner, Sam Riddle, thought the Kentucky Derby came too early in the year for a 3-year-old to going a mile and a quarter. During his illustrious two-year career, however, Man O’War won 20 out of 21 races and set three track and world records.

Through his sire, Fair Play, Man O’War is a descendant of the first English Triple Crown champion, West Australian, in 1853.

Silverado Prom Queen, sired by Peptoboonsmal, is out of the registered American Paint Horse Senorita Summer Prom, whose sire is Doc Up. Doc Up is a Doc O’Lena son out of Be Sure, whose dam was Lassie Be Sure, a Thoroughbred sired by Be Sure Now, whose sire was War Admiral.

Be Sure Now TB also figures prominently in the pedigree of Easy Six, sire of Streakin Six (shown in a photo I took at Phillips Ranch in 1983), the paternal grandsire of current leading Quarter race sire Mr Jess Perry.

NCHA Derby finalist Silverado Prom Queen is owned by Jerry and Vickie Durant, of Weatherford, TX.

A Weatherford-bred neighbor, Hot Idea, was not a Triple Crown champion, but she carried a double dose of Man O’War when she won the prestigious 1977 All American Futurity. She was bred in Weatherford, TX by Ed Baker, who also owned her sire, Aforethought TB (in a 1984 photo I took). Aforethought was sired by Intentionally, by Intent, by War Relic, by Man O’War. Aforethought’s dam, Aspidistra, was sired by Better Self, whose dam was sired by War Admiral. Hot Idea’s dam was Coquette, out of Be Sure Peggy, by Be Sure Now TB.