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.

Background

Scat Daddy was a dark bay or brown horse, standing 16.1 hands (65 inches, 165 cm). He had a good shoulder and exceptionally powerful hindquarters.^[2] He was sired by Johannesburg out of the mare Love Style by Mr. Prospector. He was bred by Swiss book publisher and racing enthusiast Axel Wend. Sold by Hunter Valley Farm for $250,000 at the Keeneland yearling sale, he was bought by 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] After his first two races, United Kingdom racing magnate Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith purchased an interest in the colt.^[3]

Racing career

In 2006 at age two, Scat Daddy won his first race 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 but second overall.^[2]

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 breathtaking 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 ¹⁄₄ lengths.^[4]

The colt was the third betting choice in the 2007 Kentucky Derby, but finished 18th after being bumped and shuffled back.^[5] He emerged with a tendon injury on his right foreleg, which lead to his retirement in June.^[3] that his handlers believe had its genesis in the Derby.

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.^[2] 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. It would have been increased to $100,000 for 2016 had it not been for his untimely death at age 11.^[6]

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 stars El Kabeir, Pretty N Cool, Dacita, Nickname, Azar, and Almasty, and Southern Hemisphere grade/group I winners The Dream, Flyer, and Kitcat.^[6] Earlier crops included Lady of Shamrock (American Oaks), Daddy Long Legs (UAE Derby), and No Nay Never.^[7]

In 2015, Scat Daddy 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.^[2]

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.^[8]

His final crop will be of racing age in 2018.

References