Distorted Humor (foaled March 19, 1993 in

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

) is an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

and a successful

sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" an ...

Bloodline

Distorted Humor's sire is Forty Niner, 1987's

Eclipse Award The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division. The trophy is made by a few small selected A ...

winning Outstanding Two-Year-Old Male Horse by the champion sire, Mr. Prospector. Distorted Humor's dam was Danzig's Beauty by Danzig. Distorted Humor was her second foal. (Danzig's Beauty died June 17, 2006, at the age of 19 due to

colic Colic or cholic () is a form of pain that starts and stops abruptly. It occurs due to muscular contractions of a hollow tube (small and large intestine, gall bladder, ureter, etc.) in an attempt to relieve an obstruction by forcing content ou ...

. She'd given birth in April 2006, to her last foal, a

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States ...

by Empire Maker. Of her eight starters, six were winners.)

Racing career

Distorted Humor himself had a career running middle-distance stakes races. He broke his maiden at

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park is a Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida, Hallandale Beach, Florida, United States. It is among the most important venues for ...

and was initially trained by Phil Gleaves as a sprinter/miler. Elliott Walden took over training duties in the spring of 1996 after Prestonwood Farm purchased a half-interest in Distorted Humor. Distorted Humor's career race record was 8 wins, 5 places and 3 shows in 23 starts, with earnings of $769,964. As a three-year-old, he won the Screen King Stakes, was second in the Grade III Fayette Stakes and the Grade II Jerome Handicap, and finished 3rd in the Grade III

King's Bishop Stakes The H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The ...

. At four, he took the Grade III Salvator Mile Handicap, and was second in the Grade III Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes and the Grade III Philip H. Iselin Handicap. At five, he took the Grade II

Commonwealth Breeders' Cup Stakes The Commonwealth Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses that are four years old or older, over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held annually in early April at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky during th ...

(setting the record for the distance that still holds), the Grade II Churchill Downs Stakes, and the Grade III Ack Ack Handicap before he was retired. At maturity, he reached .

Success as a sire

Beginning in 1999, Distorted Humor stood twice in

Victoria, Australia Victoria, commonly abbreviated as Vic, is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state (after Tasmania), with a land area of ; the second-most-populated state (after New South Wales), with a population of over 7 million; ...

, (at Grand Lodge Stud in Avenel) for $12,000. He sired two Australian crops. In those crops, 93 foals were runners, 74 were winners, 12 placed, and two others have come in the money. His get include Rinky Dink: winner of the South Australian Oaks and the Tasmanian Oaks, Distorted Halo: winner of the Moonee Valley and Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby Trial, and Tirade: winner of the Caulfield Guineas Prelude and third in VRC Ascot Vale Stakes. Among his Australian winners are both flat runners and jumpers. One jumper, four-year-old Some Are Bent, took the Moonee Valley Hurdle in July 2006, his third jumps win in his past four outings. Back in the United States, Distorted Humor's 2000 fee remained low and his mares average, yet he became America's leading freshman sire of 2002. In 2003, his son Funny Cide became a dual classic winner, and Awesome Humor was a Grade I winner. In 2005, Distorted Humor's oldest foals were five-year-olds. Over the course of 140 races, 88 of his get (13 of which were two-year-olds) earned $8.6 million. He finished the year as the second top sire in America, beaten only by the now deceased Saint Ballado. By late 2006, he had 255 winners, including 18 graded stakes winners, from 340 starters and sired 46 stakes winners. From five crops, his progeny have earned $30,265,433. In 2006, as a 14-year-old sire, he had 20 different horses win a combined 31 stakes races, 10 of which were graded. At age 15 (2008), Distorted Humor produced at least 20 stakes winners for the second year in a row. For the third straight year, he ranked among the top six stallions by progeny earnings. For 2007, he ranked third behind Smart Strike (sire of

Curlin Curlin (foaled March 25, 2004, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who was the American Horse of the Year in both 2007 and 2008. He retired in 2008 as the highest North American money earner with over US$10.5 ...

and

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

) and A.P. Indy. 2011 was his best year yet as he earned the title of

Leading sire in North America The list below shows the leading Father, sire of Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the year. It is restricted to Stallio ...

, thanks in part to Belmont Stakes winner Drosselmeyer. "Distorted Humor's progeny inherit the will to win, the desire; a lot like

Storm Cat Storm Cat (February 27, 1983 – April 24, 2013) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion whose breeding fee during the peak of his stud career was $500,000, the highest in North America at the time. He was the leading sire in North A ...

," said WinStar Farm President and CEO Doug Cauthen. "They're always battling. They battle and win or try to win, and that desire tends to get them in the winner's circle." In October 2021, WinStar Farm announced that Distorted Humor was being retired from stud duty. As of March 11, 2025, Distorted Humor has sired 173 stakes winners, according to data by The Jockey Club.

Progeny record

Standing stud at WinStar Farm in

Versailles, Kentucky Versailles is a home rule-class city in Woodford County, Kentucky, United States. It lies by road west of Lexington and is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. Versailles has a population of 10,534 according to 2024 ce ...

until 2021, Distorted Humor produced progeny that include:

Grade I winners

* Funny Cide, 2003

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

, 2003 Preakness, 2004

Jockey Club Gold Cup The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race, held at the Saratoga Race Course in the United States, that is open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fal ...

* Drosselmeyer, 2010

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...

, 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic * Flower Alley, 2005

Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Midsummer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds accor ...

, 2005 Lane's End Stakes, 2005

Jim Dandy Stakes The Jim Dandy Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. The Grade II race has been held annually since 1964 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is open to horses age three over one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. ...

, Sire of I'll Have Another * Hystericalady, 2006 Hollywood Breeders' Cup Oaks, 2007 Humana Distaff Handicap, 2007 & 2008 Molly Pitcher Breeders' Cup Handicap, 2008 Azeri Stakes, Fleur de Lis Handicap 2008, Delaware Handicap 2008 * Commentator, 2005/2008

Whitney Handicap The Whitney Stakes (run as the Whitney Handicap through 2013 and still sometimes referred to as such) is an American Grade 1 stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses four years of age and older run at a distance of miles. The current purse is $1, ...

, 2008 Richter Scale Breeders' Cup Sprint Championship Handicap, 2008

Massachusetts Handicap The Massachusetts Handicap, frequently referred to as the "MassCap", was a Flat racing, flat thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and up held annually at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was an Graded stakes r ...

* Awesome Humor, 2002 Spinaway Stakes * Any Given Saturday, 2007 Dwyer Stakes, 2007 Haskell Invitational Handicap, 2007

Brooklyn Handicap The Brooklyn Stakes (formerly known as the Brooklyn Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. It currently is a Grade II event open to four-year-olds and up willing to race one and ...

* Rinky Dink, 2004 Australasian Oaks * Jimmy Creed, 2012 Malibu Stakes * Boisterous, 2013 Man O' War Stakes * Cursory Glance, 2014

Moyglare Stud Stakes The Moyglare Stud Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to two-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is schedu ...

* Bit of Whimsy, 2007 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes, 2007 Mrs. Revere Stakes * Restless Rider, 2018 Darley Alcibiades * Santin, 2022 Turf Classic Stakes,

Arlington Million The Arlington Million is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for thoroughbred horses aged three years and upward on turf. It was originally raced at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois over a distance of miles. The Arling ...

Grade II & III winners

* Go Rockin' Robin, 2003 Peter Pan Stakes * Cowtown Cat, 2007 Illinois Derby, 2007

Gotham Stakes The Gotham Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run in early March at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. A Grade III event with a current purse of US$300,000, it is set at a distance of 1 mile on the dir ...

* Da Stoops, 2005

California Breeders' Champion Stakes California Breeders' Champion Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1935 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Run during the last week of December, the seven Furlong race is open to two-year-old horses bred in ...

, 2006 California Cup Sprint, 2006 Sunshine Millions Dash * Original Spin, 2005 Arlington-Washington Breeders' Cup Lassie Stakes Grade III * Sensibly Chic, 2005 Vagrancy Handicap * Sharp Humor, 2006 Swale Stakes * Forty Niners Son, 2007 San Luis Rey Handicap * It's No Joke, 2006 Bet on Sunshine Handicap at

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States that hosts the annual Kentucky Derby. It opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was prominent in Kentucky for many years. The first ...

, 2006 Grade II Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap, 2006 Grade III Ack Ack Handicap * Change Up, 2006 Pocahontas Stakes * Z Humor, finished first in a dead heat with Turf War in the 2007 running of the Delta Jackpot Stakes * Regal Ransom, 2009 UAE Derby, Super Derby * Justenuffhumor, 2009 Bernard Baruch Handicap * Endorsement, 2010 Sunland Derby * Alternation, 2011 Peter Pan Stakes * Machen, 2011

Derby Trial Stakes The Pat Day Mile Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on dirt over a distance of one mile scheduled on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The current purse is $600,000. Histor ...

* Brethren, 2011 Sam F. Davis Stakes * Alternation, 2012 Oaklawn Handicap, 2012 Pimlico Special * Ironicus, 2015 Bernard Baruch Handicap (Grade II), setting new track record at Saratoga * Anarchist, 2023 Jacques Cartier Stakes, 2023 Pat O'Brien Stakes Distorted Humor is also the sire of Maclean's Music whose maiden special weight debut at

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious race ...

produced the current highest debut Beyer figure in history, and has gone on to be one of Distorted Humor's most important sons at stud.

Fees

Distorted Humor's fee for 2008 was $300,000—the same fee commanded by A.P. Indy and

. Due to the uncertain financial climate beginning in 2008, his fee was reduced to $225,000 for 2009 and $100,000 for 2011. In 2017 his fee was listed by WinStar and Bloodhorse.com as $80,000. In 2021 his retirement from stud duty was announced.

Pedigree

References

{{Reflist
Distorted Humor's racing statsDistorted Humor Profile on the Stallion Register Blood Horse leading sire listWinStar Farm

NTRA bio of WinStar FarmNational Thoroughbred Racing Association's bio of WinStar
1993 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States United States Champion Thoroughbred Sires Thoroughbred family 9-f American Champion Thoroughbred broodmare sires