No Parole
by Avalyn Hunter
The Louisiana stallion market has welcomed a fair number of transplants with good credentials in recent years, but few with better resumes than native son No Parole. Bred by Coteau Grove Farms in 2017, No Parole cut his teeth on state-bred competition before becoming a grade 1 winner in New York. He has just completed his third season as a stallion at Whispering Oaks Farm and will see his first foals come to the races next year.
A $75,000 purchase from the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale, No Parole raced for Maggi Moss and later for the partnership of Moss and Greg Tramontin, who bought into the colt after his first three starts. From the time No Parole colt entered training, trainer Tom Amoss insisted that the colt’s talent could carry him beyond the Louisiana-bred program onto the national stage, and he proved right, although it took until December 15, 2019, to get a glimpse of that talent in actual competition. On that day. No Parole led throughout and blew away a field of Louisiana-bred maidens by 14¼ lengths at the Fair Grounds. His next outing was a first-level allowance for Louisiana-breds on January 11, 2020, and that also became a blowout as the Violence colt again took the lead at the start and sailed home 13¼ lengths in front.
No Parole earned his first stakes win in the Louisiana Bred Premier Night Prince Stakes at Delta Downs on February 8. Asked to tackle a flat mile, No Parole was not quite as impressive as he had been earlier over sprints but still won gate-to-wire with 6½ lengths to spare on his closest pursuer. That performance earned him a crack at the Kentucky Derby trail om March 14 in the Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park, but that race turned out to be a fiasco as the colt was unable to make the lead early. Taken out of his preferred running style, he stopped after three-quarters of a mile, and came in a badly-beaten eighth.
Amoss sensibly chose to regroup in lesser company and at a shorter distance, and on April 24 at Oaklawn, No Parole showed that the Rebel had done him no lasting harm by resuming his usual gate-to-wire tactics to win a 6-furlong optional claimer. The colt reached the highwater mark of his career in the Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Claiborne Farm (G1) at Belmont on June 20, reeling off 7 furlongs in 1:21.41 to defeat Echo Town by 3¾ lengths. Mischevious Alex, who would win the Carter Handicap (G1) in 2021, was in the beaten field.
Echo Town turned the tables in the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1) on August 1 at Saratoga, when No Parole was pressured throughout an opening half in 0:45.3 and gave way not long afterward, finishing ninth. He next appeared in the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) on October 2 at Keeneland but became nervous and upset in the paddock and left his chances there, running sixth after getting caught in another early speed duel. Nevertheless, he had done enough to make himself an easy choice as Louisiana’s 2020 Horse of the Year.
No Parole had only one moment of brilliance afterward, but luckily for Louisiana racing fans, he chose to turn on the afterburners in front of the home folks at Delta Downs, running the fastest 5 furlongs of the meeting and earning the highest speed figure of his career in the Louisiana Bred Premier Night Sprint Stakes. He retired having won six of 13 starts for earnings of $369,866.
No Parole has a pedigree promising speed but with enough stamina elements to suggest that, had he developed a more flexible running style, intermediate distances might not have been outside his scope. He is a son of 2012 CashCall Futurity (G1) winner Violence. The sire of six grade or group 1 winners including 2022 champion juvenile male Forte, Violence is represented by the winners of over $3.7 million in 2024, headed by John A. Nerud Stakes (G2) winner Mullikins.
Violence, in turn, is by seven-time top-ten American sire Medaglia d’Oro, a multiple grade 1 winner who was in turn sired by 2002 American champion sire El Prado. This is a branch of the sire line of the great European sire Sadler’s Wells, which continues to be represented powerfully in Europe through the hugely successful Sadler’s Wells son Galileo, in turn the sire of European superstar and top stallion Frankel. The Sadler’s Wells sire line is also represented in North America through the sons of 2004 American champion turf horse and two-time American champion sire Kitten’s Joy, another son of El Prado; this branch is currently represented by the rising young sire Oscar Performance.
On the distaff side, No Parole is the third foal of the Bluegrass Cat mare Plus One, who won the restricted Alison McClay Stakes, a five-furlong turf sprint, at Penn National as a three-year-old. She is out of License Free (by Miswaki), a half sister to four-time grade 3 winner License Fee (by Black Tie Affair). Produced from the winning Deputy Minister mare Star Deputy, License Free is also a half sister to Ascot Starre (by Ascot Knight), dam of 2005 Illinois Derby (G2) winner Greeley’s Galaxy (by Mr. Greeley).
No Parole is inbred 4x3 to Storm Cat and shows the strong, well-muscled body and powerful quarters typical of the descendants of the two-time American champion sire. These desirable elements are blended with a little more rein and leg length than was often common with the Storm Cats, showing the influence of No Parole’s sire Violence as well as that of Mr. Prospector, to whom No Parole is inbred 4x5x4. Both on paper and in conformation, No Parole should suit a variety of mare types. He may be particularly suited to mares returning Nijinsky II, Danzig, and Fappiano and to mares who carry A.P. Indy through a son; outcross strains such as Tiznow and Holy Bull should also be worth considering.