Flying Mohawk

Connections

Owner: Two Eight Racing, Berry Family Racing LLC and Kaleta Racing
Breeders: John O’Meara
Trainer: D. Whitworth Beckman
Jockey: Joseph Ramos

Flying Mohawk: 2025 Kentucky Derby Contender Profile

Flying Mohawk, a 3-year-old colt by Karakontie out of Bonbons Fleur, heads into the 2025 Kentucky Derby with a strong second in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) (1:50.50 over 1 1/8 miles), earning 40 Derby points. With 67 total points, he’s secured his spot. Featuring a turf-heavy pedigree with Bernstein and Twirling Candy, Flying Mohawk will seek success on the dirt and win the Kentucky Derby on May 3, 2025, at Churchill Downs.

Pedigree

Flying Mohawk
├── Sire: Karakontie
│   ├── Sire: Bernstein
│   └── Dam: Sun Is Up (by Sunday Silence)
└── Dam: Bonbons Fleur
    ├── Sire: Twirling Candy
    └── Dam: America’s Blossom (by Quiet American)

1st Generation Pedigree

• Sire: Karakontie
  Karakontie, a son of Bernstein, is a 2014 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner, recording a 110 Beyer Speed Figure. Bred and raced by the Niarchos Family, he won the French 2000 Guineas (G1) and the Grand Criterium (G1) at 2, earning nearly $2 million. A proven turf sire, Karakontie has produced graded stakes winners like 2024 American Oaks (G1) winner She Feels Pretty and 2025 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) runner-up Flying Mohawk. His progeny often excel on turf and synthetic surfaces, though some, like Sole Volante (11th in the 2020 Kentucky Derby), have competed on dirt.
• Dam: Bonbons Fleur
  Bonbons Fleur, by Twirling Candy, is an unraced mare but a half-sister to multiple Grade 3 winner Change of Control, who earned nearly $1 million on turf. Bonbons Fleur’s first foal is Flying Mohawk, who has earned $295,800 with a record of 2-2-0 from six starts. She was bred in Kentucky by John O’Meara, and Flying Mohawk sold for $72,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale after bringing $25,000 as a weanling at the 2022 Keeneland November Sale.

2nd Generation Pedigree

• Karakontie’s Parents (Flying Mohawk’s Paternal Grandparents)
  Karakontie’s sire is Bernstein, as you confirmed, a son of Storm Cat who was a two-time leading sire in Argentina and sired six-time Grade 1 winner Tepin, an Eclipse Award champion. Bernstein’s progeny are known for precocious speed and versatility, with Karakontie being a standout on turf . Karakontie’s dam is Sun Is Up, by Sunday Silence, a Japanese-bred mare from the family of Miesque and Kingmambo, adding elite turf stamina and class to the lineage.
• Bonbons Fleur’s Parents (Flying Mohawk’s Maternal Grandparents)
  Bonbons Fleur’s sire is Twirling Candy, a son of Candy Ride who sired 2021 Preakness Stakes winner Rombauer and multiple Grade 1 winner Concrete Rose. Twirling Candy’s progeny often show versatility across surfaces, with successes on dirt, turf, and synthetic. Bonbons Fleur’s dam is America’s Blossom, by Quiet American, a stakes-placed mare who earned $75,000 and is a half-sister to stakes winner American Gal. Quiet American, a son of Fappiano, adds durability and stamina, with progeny like 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Awesome Again.

Additional Notes on Flying Mohawk’s Pedigree

• Paternal Line (Karakontie): Bernstein, by Storm Cat, brings speed and versatility—his progeny like Tepin and Karakontie excel on turf, with Karakontie’s Breeders’ Cup Mile win showcasing his electrifying stretch run (1:32.88). Sun Is Up, by Sunday Silence, ties into the Miesque family, with Kingmambo as a half-brother, adding world-class turf stamina. This lineage suggests Flying Mohawk’s strength on turf and synthetic, though Karakontie’s son Sole Volante showed some dirt ability in the 2020 Derby.
• Maternal Line (Bonbons Fleur): Twirling Candy, by Candy Ride, offers versatility—his progeny like Rombauer (1 3/16 miles on dirt) and Concrete Rose (turf) handle various surfaces and distances. America’s Blossom, by Quiet American, adds stamina—Quiet American sired distance runners like Real Quiet (1998 Kentucky Derby winner), and his daughters often produce horses with staying power. Bonbons Fleur’s half-sister Change of Control reinforces turf ability in the family.
• Pedigree Fit for the Derby: Flying Mohawk’s pedigree leans heavily toward turf and synthetic success, with Karakontie and Bernstein excelling on grass. Twirling Candy adds some dirt versatility, but Flying Mohawk’s unraced-on-dirt record (all six starts on turf or synthetic) raises questions about his ability to handle Churchill Downs’ dirt surface, as noted in his profile (April 23, 2025, 08:22). His Jeff Ruby Steaks performance (1:50.50 at 1 1/8 miles) shows he can handle distance, but the surface switch is a challenge.

Flying Mohawk’s Race Record