Lawyer Ron proved himself one of the most consistent 3-year-old colts of 2006 heading into the Kentucky Derby, carrying a six-race win streak into the big race. Since then, he has had his share of problems. Unplaced in the Derby, he underwent surgery for a bone chip on his right hind ankle thirteen days later. Since returning to the track, he has won the listed St. Louis Derby and run second to Strong Contender in the Super Derby (gr. II). Handicapped by a tendency to become headstrong and rank when not allowed to go to the lead, he appears likely to be among the longshots in a deep field for the Breeders' Cup Classic–Powered By Dodge (gr. I). Lawyer Ron is by the fleet Langfuhr, a son of Danzig who won the Vosburgh Stakes (gr. I) and Forego Handicap (gr. II) at 3 and the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) and Carter Handicap (gr. I) at 4. He came by his speed over seven and eight furlongs quite honestly; not only is he by Danzig, one of the best sires of speed among Northern Dancer's sons, but he is inbred 3x3 to another notable speed horse in Nearctic, the sire of both Northern Dancer and of Langfuhr's maternal grandsire Briartic. A headstrong front-runner, Nearctic won nineteen of his thirty-seven starts at a mile or less including the 1956 Saratoga Special and the 1958 Michigan Mile. Although all of his graded stakes wins were at a mile or less, Langfuhr proved his ability to get a horse capable of going longer distances by siring 2003 Canadian Triple Crown winner Wando and 2004 Canadian champion older male Mobil from his second crop. Since then, he has had a rather uneven stud career, perhaps inevitably so given the large numbers of foals he has sired. From his first six crops of racing age, Langfuhr has sired forty-three stakes winners from 917 foals. His other runners of note include two-time Grade I winner Imperial Gesture, 2002 champion three-year-old filly in the United Arab Emirates, and multiple Grade II winner Imperialism.
Donation, the dam of Lawyer Ron, placed twice in a brief career of four starts. Lawyer Ron is her third foal and third winner, and she has since produced fillies by Elhayq (Ire) in 2005 and 2006; she is now believed to be in foal to Smarty Jones on an April 25 cover. A $1,000 buy-back for Lawyer Ron's breeder, the late James T. Hines, at the 2003 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky December mixed sale, she is currently owned by Reuel and Lavonne Huston in partnership with their son Ron and daughter Melissa McLain and is slated to be sold at the Keeneland November mixed sale. Donation is a daughter of Lord Avie, the U.S. champion juvenile of 1980 and a good stallion who sired eighty-two stakes winners from 828 foals. The next dam, Reddy Change, was stakes-placed at two but was more notable for toughness than class, winning eight of fifty-seven starts. She was sired by 1978 Charles H. Strub Stakes (gr. I) winner Mr. Redoy, a useful sire son of *Grey Dawn II, out of Coin Changer, a daughter of Rambunctious. The female line descends from *Uvira II, also the ancestress of such standouts as champions A.P. Indy, Gay Mecene, Lemon Drop Kid, and Plugged Nickle through her daughter Missy Baba (by *My Babu). However, Lawyer Ron comes from a different branch, that of *Uvira II's *Mahmoud filly Obedient. Obedient produced Iron Ruler, a multiple major stakes winner in the early 1960s, and is the ancestress of Grade/Group I winners Tanque Verde, Ski Goggle, Ski Paradise, and Ski Champ. Lawyer Ron is easily the best horse produced by any of his first five dams. But it remains to be seen whether he can step up another level to compete with the best horses now running in North America. November 4 will tell the tale.
