Son of Scat Daddy to stand at operation’s Ashford base in Kentucky
Dual Group 1 winner Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) will relocate from Coolmore’s Irish base to the operations Ashford Stud base in Kentucky for the 2021 breeding season, where he will stand for a fee of US$25,000.
The son of Scat Daddy (Johannesburg), who shuttled to Australia for one season in 2018, landed the Phoenix Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) as a juvenile in 2016, before winning the Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f) at Royal Ascot the following year.
Caravaggio retired to stud in 2018 and stood his first two seasons at €35,000 increasing to €40,000 in 2020. His first yearlings were well received in the sales rings in Europe, with 63 yearlings selling for an aggregate of US$7,339,295 at an average of US$116,496.
“Ever since he retired to stud, Caravaggio has been supported by top American-based breeders such as David Anderson, Peter Berglar, John Gunther, Hunter Valley Farm, Runnymede Farm, Fred Hertrich, Mike Ryan, e5 Racing & Merriebelle Stables,” said Ashford’s director of sales Charlie O’Connor who co-bred the sprinter with his father-in-law’s Windmill Manor Farms.
“This support carried into the sales ring in both the US and Europe with several of his highest-priced yearlings being bought by American-based owners including Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm, Wesley Ward, Ben McElroy, Susan Moulton, DJ Stables, Mike Akers and Meah/Lloyd for Calvin Nguyen. These included a $400,000 filly and a $300,000 colt sold by Gainesway at Keeneland.
“A multiple Group 1 winner, Caravaggio is an outstanding physical and was a fantastic racehorse going unbeaten in his first six starts which included Royal Ascot wins at both two and three. His pedigree holds major appeal for breeders here being a son of Scat Daddy, one of the most successful stallions we’ve ever stood at Ashford, and out of a stakes winner on dirt by Holy Bull. His half-sister My Jen was a good racemare too winning a Grade 2 on the main track at Belmont for Eddie Kenneally. All in all, we thought it made a lot of sense to bring him over.”
Caravaggio is out of Listed-winning Holy Bull (Great Above) mare Mekko Hokte, making him a half-brother to Grade 2 winner My Jen (Fusaichi Pegasus).
Further back this is the same family as Grade 3 scorer Sharp Performance (Kris S) and Listed-winning pair Silver In Flight (Silver Series) and Meisho Tensui (Dunkirk).
Caravaggio’s only Australian-bred crop of yearlings will hit the sales rings in 2021.
