Kentucky Derby's new horse, Great White, has a fascinating pedigree

Kentucky Derby's new horse, Great White, has a fascinating pedigree originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Great White wasn't part of the Kentucky Derby field at the start of the week.

But when Silent Tactic had to be scratched due to injury, it created an opening. Great White was the horse that got to step into it.

He'll be a longshot, but he is one of the coolest looking horses in the field.

Pictured above, he has that cool white splotch on his forehead while overall being a smooth gray color.

He also comes to Churchill Downs with a pedigree that provides at least some intrigue.

Great White horse pedigree

Great White's parents are Volatile and Kelly Bag.

Volatile was a sprinter -- he raced six times in his career, all at six-furlongs length, and placed first five times and second once.

Interestingly, Volatile is the son of Violence, who was more of a long-distance racer who had three firsts and a second in four career races.

Kelly Bag didn't do anything to write home about on the track, not getting a top-three in four career starts.

The key part of Kelly Bag's pedigree, though, is her father -- Uncle Mo.

Uncle Mo won five of his eight career races, including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He's the son of Indian Charlier, who was first in the 1998 Santa Anita Derby and then third in that year's Kentucky Derby.

So all told, Great White has some quality genes. They're a bit of a mixed bag as far as distance versus speed, but there's at least some reason to believe he's a quality racehorse.

MORE:Why Silent Tactic had to scratch from the Kentucky Derby