Distant Music is a bay horse with a white sock on his right hind leg,[2] bred in Kentucky by Juddmonte Farms, the breeding organisation of his owner Khalid Abdullah.
[4] She was a granddaughter of Sister Shannon, an American broodmare who produced Temperence Hill and was also the female-line ancestor of Vanlandingham and Funny Moon (CCA Oaks).
He was made the 13/8 favourite in a six-runner field with his main rivals appearing to be Ekraar (winner of the Vintage Stakes) and Rossini (Prix Robert Papin).
[8] On his final appearance of the season, Distant Music contested Britain's most prestigious race for two-year-olds, the Group One Dewhurst Stakes over seven furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse on 16 October.
The other three runners were the unbeaten Port Vila, and the Aidan O'Brien-trained pair Brahms (third in the Middle Park Stakes) and Zentsov Street.
Distant Music was held up by Hills in the early stages as Zentsov Street set the pace from Brahms before moving up and taking the lead approaching the final furlong.
He recovered from a slow start to the lead inside the final furlong but was caught in the last stride and beaten a head by Barathea Guest.
[12] Khalid Abdullah's racing manager Teddy Beckett commented "There has been nothing physically wrong with Distant Music, but he just wasn't right and it was a question of giving him as much time as he needed to come back to form.
[13] On 14 October Distant Music was stepped up in class and distance and started a 20/1 outsider for the Champion Stakes over ten furlongs at Newmarket.
For his final appearance of 2000, Distant Music was sent to the United States to contest the Breeders' Cup Mile at Churchill Downs on 4 November.
On his seasonal debut he started joint favourite for the Earl of Sefton Stakes over nine furlongs at Newmarket on 18 April and finished fourth of the six runners behind the seven-year-old Right Wing.
When the International Classification for two-year-olds in 1999 was issued in January 2000, Distant Music was rated the best British-trained colt, five pounds behind the Irish champion Fasliyev and level with Giant's Causeway.