Runaway winner of the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) Mor Spirit is the only winner of that race in the last quarter century to have also captured a grade one event at two. From the Giant’s Causeway branch of Storm Cat’s sire line, he is out of juvenile stakes-winning Dixie Union mare from the immediate family of Champion Stellar Wind. He was a stakes sire with his first crop two-year-olds in 2022.

Mor Spirit’s first crop stakes scorer, Velocitor, who took the Coronation Futurity, is out of a mare by Successful Appeal, from the Valid Appeal branch of In Reality. We can also note that the Giant’s Causeway line has done well with a number of broodmare sires from the Relaunch  branch of In Reality, including Honour and Glory (sire of Put It Back), Cee’s Tizzy, Tiznow (sire of Tiz Wonderful, Gemologist, Colonel John and Tizway) and Bertrando (sire of Officer).

Eskendereya – the sire of Mor Spirit – sired Champion Sprinter Mitole out of a mare by Indian Charlie (sire of Uncle Mo), a son of In Excess, who is by Siberian Express, also sire of Siberian Summer, the broodmare sire of two Giant’s Causeway classic performers. It’s also possible to bring in Indian Charlie through Adios Charlie, Bwana Charlie, Liaison and Cinco Charlie, and other sons of In Excess include Rocky Bar, Notional and Bring the Heat. This is branch of the Caro line, and Maria’s Mon who is out of a Caro mare, and he has worked under Giant’s Causeway. His son, Monarchos, is also broodmare sire of a Giant’s Causeway line stakes winner and might be interesting here, while Super Saver mares also appeal.

Like Giant’s Causeway, Eskendereya has done very well with Mr. Prospector line mares. His multiple graded stakes winner Eskenformoney is out of a mare by Not For Love, and he also has stakes winners from daughters of Lemon Drop Kid, Carson City (sire of City Zip, Pollard’s Vision, Five Star Day  and Cuvee); Strong Hope (by Grand Slam) and Mr. Greeley – both from the Gone West line, which also suggests Elusive Quality (sire of Quality Road, Smarty Jones and Great Notion), Speightstown (sire of Munnings) and Proud Citizen; Thunder Gulch (sire of Point Given); Hawk Wing (by Woodman); and Victory Gallop (by Cryptoclearance, who might also be brought in through Candy Ride and Twirling Candy). Cryptoclearance is from the Fappiano branch of Mr. Prospector, which has enjoyed success under Giant’s Causeway through Unbridled’s Song (by Unbridled), Quiet American (grandsire of Midnight Lute, who could be interesting here) and Rubiano (sire of Too Much Bling and Burning Roma). Unbridled’s Song could also be introduced through Cross Traffic, Liam’s Map, Rockport Harbor, First Defence, Old Fashioned, Half Ours, Dunkirk, Even The Score and Songandaprayer. Other sources of Unbridled including Broken Vow, Empire Maker (sire of Pioneerof the Nile and Bodemeister; grandsire of American Pharoah, Classic Empire and Cairo Prince).

Additional branches of Mr. Prospector worthy of consideration include Northern Afleet and his son, Afleet Alex; Seeking the Gold, the sire of Mutakddim, Petionville and Cape Town; Street Cry, sire of Street Sense and Street Boss; Smart Strike (sire of Curlin, Lookin At Lucky and English Channel), Distorted Humor (sire of Maclean’s Music, Jimmy Creed and Flower Alley) and Fusaichi Pegasus.

From the Deputy Minister branch of Northern Dancer, there are Eskendereya stakes winners out of mares by Deputy Minister himself and his son, Dehere (sire of Graeme Hall), suggesting crossing over Awesome Again (sire of Ghostzapper, Paynter, Oxbow, Daaher and Toccet), Silver Deputy (sire of Posse, Badge of Silver and Spring At Last) and Touch Gold.

There is an Eskendereya stakes winner out of a mare by Dayjur, a son of Danzig, a strain that might be introduced through Belong To Me, Polish Numbers, Langfuhr, War Chant, Hard Spun, Exchange Rate and War Front (sire of Declaration of War, The Factor, Summer Front and Hit it a Bomb). From the Sadler’s Wells line there is a stakes winner out of a mare by Kitten’s Joy (by El Prado, also sire of Medaglia d’Oro and Artie Schiller; grandsire of Violence and Warrior’s Reward), and there is also a stakes winner out of a mare by Unusual Heat, who is by Sadler’s Wells’ three-quarters brother, Nureyev (also available through Stravinsky and Theatrical).

From his own Storm Cat line, Eskendereya sired stakes winners out of mares by Henny Hughes (by Hennessy, also sire of Johannesburg and Cactus Ridge, and grandsire of Scat Daddy) and Tiger Ridge.

Eskendereya is out of a mare by Seattle Slew, and that suggests crossing back over that line through A.P. Indy and sons such as Pulpit (sire of Tapit, Sky Mesa and Stroll; grandsire of Tapizar, Tapiture, Trappe Shot and Constitution), Mineshaft (sire of Discreetly Mine and Dialed In, who is a reverse cross to Eskendereya), Jump Start (another reverse cross to Eskendereya), Malibu Moon, Congrats, Flatter (sire of Flat Out and Upstart), Girolamo and Majestic Warrior.

Out of mares from the Halo line, Eskendereya has two stakes winners from mares by More Than Ready (sire of Ready’s Image, Verrazano and Daredevil) and Halo could also be introduced through Devil’s Bag (sire of Devil His Due and Diablo) and Saint Ballado (sire of Saint Liam, Yankee Victor and Sweetsouthernsaint) whose sister, Champion Glorious Song, is in the pedigree of Giant’s Causeway.