Volatile (foaled March 20, 2016) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 2020 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap. Background Volatile was bred in Kentucky by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Stretch Run Ventures, Volatile is the second stakes winner from his 10-year-old dam, the stakes-winning Unbridled's Song mare Melody Lady . Her first, Buy Sell Hold, a full sister to Volatile, won the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes at Churchill Downs for trainer Steven Asmussen in May 2017.
Volatile's second dam, Lady Tak (by Mutakddim), excelled sprinting at Saratoga, winning the Grade I Test Stakes and Ballerina Handicap there.
Volatile was an $850,000 purchase by Kerri Radcliffe Bloodstock and Three Chimneys Farm from the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency consignment at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Racing career
Volatile's first race was on July 13, 2019, at Ellis Park, where he came in first in a Maiden Special Weight race. He placed 2nd in an Allowance race on September 14, 2019, at Churchill Downs, then began a three race winstreak.
He grabbed an Allowance race victory on November 3, 2019, at Churchill Downs, and then picked up an Allowance Optional Claiming victory at Oaklawn Park on April 24, 2020.
Volatile picked up his first stakes win on June 6, 2020, at the Aristides Stakes. He came in as the 1/2 odds-on favorite and came within two one-hundredths of a second off of the track record during the win, defeating Honest Mischief and winning $100,000.
On July 25, 2020, at Saratoga, Volatile won the 2020 Grade I Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap. Volatile came into the four horse field as the heavy favorite at 2/5 odds and defeated Whitmore, who came in 2nd.
On September 21, 2020, the owners announced that Volatile suffered "a hairline fracture of his right front cannon bone", and as a result was to be retired.
Statistics Date Distance Race Grade Track Odds Field Finish WinningTime Winning(Losing)Margin Jockey Ref2019 – three-year-old season 6 furlongs Maiden Special Weight Ellis Park 9.00 9 1 1:10.84 length 6 furlongs Allowance Churchill Downs 5.50 9 2 1:09.41 ( lengths) 6 furlongs Allowance Churchill Downs 0.70* 7 1 1:09.10 3 lengths 2020 – four-year-old season 6 furlongs Allowance Optional Claiming Churchill Downs 1.20* 11 1 1:08.48 lengths 6 furlongs Aristides Stakes Listed Churchill Downs 0.50* 6 1 1:07:55 8 lengths 6 furlongs Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap I Saratoga 0.40* 4 1 1:09.61 lengths
Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Volatile was the post-time favourite.
Stud career Following the announcement of his retirement, it was also announced that the horse would stand stud at Three Chimneys Farm starting from the 2021 season. To date, his most successful progeny is T O Elvis, a Japanese-trained horse who has won the Capella Stakes in Japan and the Churchill Downs Stakes in the United States.
In 2026 Volatile stood for US$10,000.
Notable progeny
c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding
Foaled Name Sex Major Wins2022T O Elvis cChurchill Downs Stakes (2026)
Pedigree
References