Scat Daddy

Scat Daddy (May 11, 2004 – December 14, 2015) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won four stakes races including the Champagne Stakes and Florida Derby. Retired after being injured in the Kentucky Derby, he went on to become a prominent sire.

Scat Daddy
SireJohannesburg
GrandsireHennessy
DamLove Style
DamsireMr. Prospector
SexStallion
Foaled2004
DiedDecember 14, 2015(2015-12-14) (aged 11)
Kentucky
CountryUnited States
ColourBay
BreederAxel Wend
OwnerJames T. Scatuorchio, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith
TrainerTodd Pletcher
Record9: 5-1-1
Earnings$1,334,300[1]
Major wins
Sanford Stakes (2006)
Champagne Stakes (2006)
Fountain of Youth Stakes (2007)
Florida Derby (2007)
Last updated on March 31, 2007

Background

Scat Daddy was sired by Johannesburg, who was a champion in both the United States and Europe as a two-year-old. Scat Daddy's dam was Love Style, a daughter of Mr. Prospector. Scat Daddy was bred in Kentucky by Swiss book publisher and racing enthusiast Axel Wend. He was foaled at Hunter Valley Farm near Lexington, whose owners privately purchased the foal and his dam in 2004. He was then sold for $250,000 at the 2005 Keeneland yearling sale to leading trainer Todd Pletcher for Wall Street investment banker James T. Scatuorchio, a former executive with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Scat Daddy was named for Scatuorchio, whose nickname is "Scat".[2][3] After his first two races, United Kingdom racing magnate Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith purchased an interest in the colt.[4]

Scat Daddy was a dark bay horse, standing 16.1 hands (65 inches, 165 cm). He had a good shoulder and exceptionally powerful hindquarters. Pletcher recalls being impressed by the colt's athleticism, saying his only fault was a somewhat plain head.[2]

Racing career

In 2006 at age two, Scat Daddy won his first race in June 2006 at Belmont Park, then followed up with a win in the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga. He then finished second to Circular Quay in the Hopeful Stakes, before returning to Belmont to win the Champagne Stakes, defeating Nobiz Like Showbiz. In his final race of 2006, he was fourth in the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, well back of winner Street Sense.[1] He was rated at 123 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap, 4 pounds below champion Street Sense and second overall.[3]

Scat Daddy started his three-year-old campaign with a third-place finish in the 2007 Holy Bull Stakes behind Stormello and winner Nobiz Like Shobiz. He came back in the Fountain of Youth Stakes with a late run to overcome a wide trip, winning over Stormello by a nose. In the Florida Derby, Stormello set a fast pace with Scat Daddy tracking in third. Entering the stretch, Scat Daddy moved past Stormello, then held off a late run by Notional to win by 1 14 lengths.[5]

The colt was the third betting choice in the 2007 Kentucky Derby but finished 18th after being bumped and shuffled back.[6] He emerged with a tendon injury on his right foreleg, which led to his retirement in June.[4]

Stud career

Scat Daddy entered stud in 2008 at Ashford Stud (Coolmore America) in Lexington, Kentucky. He also shuttled to Coolmore Australia in 2008 and to Haras Paso Nevado in Chile in 2009–2011 for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season. He was the leading Chile juvenile sire three times (2009–2011).[3] In America, he initially commanded a $30,000 stud fee for a live foal, but this was decreased to $10,000 for 2011, then increased to $17,500 for 2012 and to $30,000 for 2013.[7]

He was the leading North American freshman sire of 2011, and remained a success for his entire stud career. At the time of his death, Scat Daddy was responsible for 69 stakes winners and was having his best year yet, ranking #9 on the 2015 North American General Sire List. He had 36 stakes winners in 2015 including Acapulco, a group II winner at Royal Ascot, North America stakes winners El Kabeir, Pretty N Cool, Dacita, Nickname, Azar, and Almasty, and Southern Hemisphere grade/group I winners The Dream, Flyer, and Kitcat.[7][8] He broke the North American record for the number of juvenile stakes winners in a season with nine. The previous record of eight had been set by his great-grandsire Storm Cat in 2002.[3]

At the 2016 Royal Ascot meeting, Scat Daddy had two winners from two runners, Caravaggio in the Coventry Stakes and Lady Aurelia in the Queen Mary Stakes.[9] The following year at the 2017 Royal Ascot meeting, Lady Aurelia and Caravaggio again won their respective races, the King's Stand Stakes and the Commonwealth Cup.[10] Scat Daddy had a third winner at the 2017 meeting, Sioux Nation, who took the Norfolk Stakes. Later in the year in America, his son Mendelssohn won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and daughter Daddys Lil Darling won the American Oaks.

In 2018, Scat Daddy had a record-tying four horses in the starting field for the Kentucky Derby,[11] including the winner, Justify. Justify went on to win the 2018 American Triple Crown and was named Horse of the Year.[12]

On December 14, 2015, Scat Daddy was being led from his paddock when he suffered an apparent heart attack at age 11. His stud fee would have been increased to $100,000 for 2016 had it not been for his untimely death.[7]

Scat Daddy's final crop reached racing age in 2018. Speaking of his premature death, Fergus Galvin of Hunter Valley Farm where Scat Daddy was raised, summed up the regret felt by many breeders. "It was just such a shame", he said. "You hate any stallion to pass away, but when he died, he was just on the crest of a wave. To think what he could have accomplished with proper Grade 1 mares, which he would have been getting, it could be staggering. It's staggering already – the fact that he had such international appeal, the fact that his offspring could literally run on any surface and at any distance."[2]

Notable progeny

Scat Daddy's major stakes winners include:[1][3][13]

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding

Foaled Name Sex Major wins
2009 Lady of Shamrock f American Oaks, Del Mar Oaks
2010 El Bromista (CHI) c Premio Alberto Vial I, Club Hipico de Santiago Falabella
2010 Solaria (CHI) f Premio Arturo Lyon P, Premio Polla de Potrancas, El Derby
2011 Dacita (CHI) f Premio Arturo Lyon Pena, Premio Polla de Potrancas, Las Oaks Carlos Hirmas A, Diana Stakes, Beverly D. Stakes
2011 Daddy Long Legs c Royal Lodge Stakes, UAE Derby
2011 Il Campione (CHI) c Premio Polla de Potrillos, Premio Nacional Ricardo Lyon, Premio El Ensayo Mega, El Derby
2011 No Nay Never c Prix Morny
2012 Celestine f Just a Game Stakes
2012 Flyer (CHI) c Premio Polla de Potrillos
2012 Kitcat f Premio Polla de Potrancas, Club Hipico de Santiago Falabella
2012 The Dream (CHI) f Premio Tanteo de Potrancas, Mil Guineas
2012 Wapi (CHI) f Premio El Ensayo Mega, Las Oaks
2013 Harmonize f Del Mar Oaks
2013 Nickname f Frizette Stakes
2014 Caravaggio c Phoenix Stakes, Commonwealth Cup
2014 Con Te Partiro f Coolmore Classic, Legacy Stakes
2014 Daddys Lil Darling f American Oaks
2014 Lady Aurelia f Prix Morny, King's Stand Stakes
2015 Combatant c Santa Anita Handicap
2015 Justify c 2018 Horse of the Year. Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, Santa Anita Derby
2015 Mendelssohn c Breeders' Cup Juvenile
2015 Mr. Melody c Takamatsunomiya Kinen
2015 Sioux Nation c Norfolk Stakes, Phoenix Stakes
2016 Skitter Scatter f Moyglare Stud Stakes
2016 Valid Point c Secretariat Stakes

Pedigree

Pedigree of Scat Daddy, dark bay or brown stallion, foaled May 11, 2004 [14]
Sire
Johannesburg
b. 1999
Hennessy
ch. 1993
Storm Cat
dkb/br. 1983
Storm Bird
Terlingua
Island Kitty
ch. 1976
Hawaii (SAF)
T. C. Kitten
Myth
b. 1993
Ogygian
b. 1983
Damascus
Gonfalon
Yarn
dkb/br. 1987
Mr. Prospector
Narrate
Dam
Love Style
ch. 1999
Mr. Prospector
b. 1970
Raise a Native
ch. 1961
Native Dancer
Raise You
Gold Digger
b. 1962
Nashua
Sequence
Likeable Style
b. 1990
Nijinsky II
b. 1967
Northern Dancer
Flaming Page
Personable Lady
b. 1981
No Robbery
Porthole (Family 1-w)[note 1]

Notes

  1. Scat Daddy descends in the female line from the mare Safari Moon, foaled in 1946. This line goes back to the taproot of family 1-w, Queen Bertha.[15]

References

  1. "Equibase Profile – Scat Daddy". Equibase. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  2. MacDonald, Michele. "The story of Scat Daddy, source of Justify and Royal Ascot sire extraordinaire | Bloodstock News". Racing Post. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  3. "Scat Daddy (horse)". American Classic Pedigrees. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  4. "Grade I Winner Scat Daddy Retired". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  5. Shinar, Jack. "'Daddy Just Dandy in Florida Derby". BloodHorse. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  6. "Chart of the 2007 Kentucky Derby". Equibase. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  7. "Top Sire Scat Daddy Dies at Age 11". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  8. "Successful sire Scat Daddy dies suddenly at 11". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  9. "Keeping It In the Family: Royal Ascot Pedigree Trends". allequineallthetime.blogspot.ca. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  10. "Royal Ascot 2017: All the results". BBC Sport. 2017-06-24. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  11. "Scat Daddy a Rare Sire with Four KY Derby Starters". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  12. Hunter, Avalyn. "Justify (horse)". American Classic Pedigrees. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  13. "Scat Daddy | Progeny". Racing Post. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  14. ""Scat Daddy pedigree"". Equineline.com. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  15. "Thoroughbred Family 1-w (Queen Bertha)". bloodlines.net. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
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