Pedigree analysis | Scat Daddy's lasting legacy
Pedigree expert Laura Joy looks at how Scat Daddy's sons, including Triple Crown winner Justify, have made a flying start at stud.
Not a day goes by without Scat Daddy posthumously reminding us of his prowess, but rather than lamenting his premature loss we ought to appreciate the monstrous impact he managed to have from only eight seasons at stud and a fee that dipped as low as $10,000.
Thirty-one Grade One winners make up his 12% stakes winners to foals of racing age, all bred from a fee less than $35,000. For reference, Dubawi currently sits on 13%, while reigning Champion sire Frankel is operating at 11%, both standing for multiples of Scat Daddy’s fee - Scat Daddy was about to stand his first six-figure season in 2016 prior to his untimely passing in the preceding December at the age of 11.
Hours could be spent praising his rags-to-riches ascension but given the speed his freshman sire sons have hit the gate there is no time to waste. Justify enjoyed his fourth stakes winner from 25 runners when Aspen Grove struck at the Curragh on Saturday, while, on the same card, Sioux Nation’s first runner and winner Ocean Quest was a short-head away from becoming his sire's third stakes winner. Caravaggio enjoyed a first crop Group 1 winner with Tenebrism last season and looks to have another in waiting in the shape of German 2000 Guineas winner Maljoom.
Blazing the trail is established son No Nay Never who was in the spotlight coming into the 2022 season. His first six-figure crop were hitting the track, a fact that draws intensified scrutiny and high levels of expectations. It’s only August and to say he has drastically exceeded expectations is an understatement. Little Big Bear was the highest-rated Group 1 Phoenix Stakes winner with Timeform in 30 years, earning a rating of 126p (replay available below), while the unbeaten pair Meditate and Aesop’s Fables enjoyed a juvenile Group-race double at the Curragh last weekend.
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Meanwhile, Blackbeard stepped up to elite company and became No Nay Never’s second two-year-old Group 1 winner this year when landing the Prix Morny. The ominous question is what these star juveniles will go on to do in 2023? It promises a fascinating narrative but take nothing away from Scat Daddy’s heir elect at present - there is no hotter sire around for juveniles.
Eyebrows were raised when Caravaggio relocated to Ashford Stud, Kentucky for his fourth season. Having received 217 mares on retirement and seen his fee jump up to €40,000 for his third and arguably a stallion’s trickiest season, anticipation had been high over Scat Daddy’s fastest son to retire in Europe. Speculation was rife in advance of his first crop hitting the track but breeders needn’t have panicked as he duly obliged in taking Champion first season sire honours.
While we patiently wait to see how significant a role bad luck played in Maljoom’s St James’ Palace Stakes defeat, Tenebrism has kept her sire ticking over nicely with a dominant win against the colts in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat, while Group 2 Debutante winner Agartha got back to winning ways in the Group 3 Fairy Bridge Stakes last Friday.
A much smaller second crop means Caravaggio is having a quieter season with his two-year-olds this year and La Dolce Vita has been his sole black-type scorer from 17 runners. But, rest assured, American breeders were ecstatic to receive him and with his first crop there yielding over 100 foals anticipation is high to see what he can do Stateside. His half-sister My Jen (Fusachi Pegasus) was a Grade 2 winning sprinter on dirt meaning there is every reason to expect his progeny to be just as effective if not better than on turf.
Triple Crown winner Justify was unraced at two but he dominated at three, winning the most coveted prize of all. With that in mind, what his first juveniles are achieving now bodes even better for the future. From only 25 runners to date, Justify has had 10 winners across Europe and America, with four of those winners scoring in stakes races. Aspen Grove’s success in the Group 3 Newtownanner Stud Stakes added to victories for Statuette in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes, Just Cindy in the Group 3 Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga and Justa Warrior in a Listed race at Ellis Park.
Embarking on a stud career with progeny spread across both sides of the Atlantic Ocean can make it a little harder to keep a sire’s name in the spotlight, but that doesn’t seem to be holding Justify back and he has some proper blue blooded two-year-olds yet to race.
Sioux Nation started out at a fee of €12,500 and he proved popular with breeders, amassing 165 foals in his first crop to go to war. Not unlike his barn mate No Nay Never, who retired for an opening fee of €20,000 in 2015, Sioux Nation was similarly precocious achieving his best form on the track as a two-year-old, with his victories including the Phoenix Stakes.
The apple can often ominously fall quite far from the tree with new sires but that is not the case with Sioux Nation. Already responsible for Group 3 Sweet Solera winner Lakota Sioux and Group 3 Prix Six Perfections victor Sydneyarms Chelsea, they are two of six black-type horses amongst 27 winners to date. Given the heights No Nay Never’s fee has reached, Sioux Nation is providing breeders with affordable access to the coveted Scat Daddy line. His consistent level of representation in the key European juvenile contests suggests it is only a matter of time before he achieves a breakthrough Group 1 winner.
The American juvenile scene heats up a lot later than in Europe and crunch time is on the horizon for Mendelssohn and his fellow first-crop sires. From just 36 runners to date, 11 have won. They include six-length Saratoga maiden winner Miracle who finished third in a Listed race on her second start on Saturday, in doing so becoming her sire’s first black-type earner.
Mendelssohn’s two-year-olds made up to $1.3 million at the sales and he arguably boasts the hottest pedigree in the stallion book – he is out of 2016 Champion Broodmare Leslie’s Lady. That makes him a half-brother to triple Champion Sire Into Mischief as well as triple Breeders’ Cup winner Beholder. He patiently awaits a headline horse and, with the Travers Stakes now behind us, the focus begins to shift to the juveniles. With a strong draft of impressive debutant winners including TDN rising star Pink Hue, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Mendelssohn’s progeny are tuned up and ready to play.
As George Strait sang, Scat Daddy was not here for a long time, but his time here was certainly good. It is frivolous to wonder what might have been and much more pertinent to appreciate he had enough time to do what he did.
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