Storm Cat
Encyclopedia
Storm Cat was an American Thoroughbred
stallion whose breeding fee during the peak of his stud career was $500,000, the highest in the world. As such, he was one of the few horses with a 24-hour armed guard
.
He was sired by Storm Bird
, a son of Northern Dancer
. His dam is Terlingua
, who was sired by Secretariat
. During his racing career, the bay won the Grade I Young America Stakes at The Meadowlands, and finished second by a nose in that year's championship deciding race, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Best known for the success of the racehorses he has sired and his many successful sons at stud, Storm Cat stood at stud
at Overbrook Farm in Lexington, Kentucky
. In 1999 and 2000, he was the leading sire in North America
. As of August 2008, he has sired 32 winners of Group 1/Grade 1 stakes, 99 winners of group
or graded stakes race
s, and 166 stakes winners worldwide, which have earnings in excess of $115 million. He was the leading sire of stakes winners in North America
in 2005.
His stud fee from 2002 to 2007 was $500,000 for each live foal
, but his final published fee was reduced to $300,000 for 2008.
Storm Cat covered more than 30 mares in 2008, with three reportedly in foal. According to Ric Waldman, who managed the stallion for Overbrook, "We have been monitoring his semen throughout the breeding season, and there's been a decline in his semen quality."
His daughters have also made him a noteworthy broodmare sire. Progeny produced by daughters of Storm Cat include the 2004 Breeders' Cup Sprint
Winner and Eclipse Award
-Winning Champion Sprinter, Speightstown, as well as the 2005 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
Winner and Champion 2-Year Old Filly, Folklore.
Storm Cat's success as a sire-of-sires and broodmare sire could be attributed to his top and bottom sire lines. His paternal grandsire, Northern Dancer, was also a well-known sire-of-sires, and his maternal grandsire, Secretariat, is regarded as perhaps the greatest broodmare sire in history.
, a Storm Cat colt since named Mr. Sekiguchi sold for $8 million, and in the 2005 sale, another of his colts, Jalil
, sold for $9.7 million. The price was the highest ever paid for a yearling sold at the Keeneland September sale and is third-highest overall.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
stallion whose breeding fee during the peak of his stud career was $500,000, the highest in the world. As such, he was one of the few horses with a 24-hour armed guard
Security guard
A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...
.
He was sired by Storm Bird
Storm Bird
Storm Bird was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse in Ireland. He was a son of 1964 U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt Northern Dancer, "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history." At age 2,trained by Vincent O'Brien, he won all five starts and was voted Champion in England and Ireland...
, a son of Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful sire of the 20th Century. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls him "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history"....
. His dam is Terlingua
Terlingua (horse)
Terlingua was American thoroughbred born in 1976. Sired by Secretariat out of a Crimson Satan mare, Crimson Saint, Terlingua was a great stakes winner but her most notable contribution to the racing community was her son the 2x Champion Sire Storm Cat....
, who was sired by Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
. During his racing career, the bay won the Grade I Young America Stakes at The Meadowlands, and finished second by a nose in that year's championship deciding race, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Best known for the success of the racehorses he has sired and his many successful sons at stud, Storm Cat stood at stud
Stud (animal)
A stud animal is a registered animal retained for breeding. The terms for the male of a given animal species usually imply that the animal is entire—that is, not castrated—and therefore capable of siring offspring...
at Overbrook Farm in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. In 1999 and 2000, he was the leading sire in North America
Leading sire in North America
The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the year...
. As of August 2008, he has sired 32 winners of Group 1/Grade 1 stakes, 99 winners of group
Conditions races
Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...
or graded stakes race
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
s, and 166 stakes winners worldwide, which have earnings in excess of $115 million. He was the leading sire of stakes winners in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in 2005.
His stud fee from 2002 to 2007 was $500,000 for each live foal
Foal
A foal is an equine, particularly a horse, that is one year old or younger. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, but these terms are used until the horse is age three or four. When the foal is nursing from its dam , it may also be called a suckling...
, but his final published fee was reduced to $300,000 for 2008.
Pensioned in 2008
Overbrook Farm announced May 13, 2008bthat Storm Cat, at the age of 25, was pensioned from stallion duty due to reduced fertility. Storm Cat will remain at Overbrook in Lexington for the remainder of his days.Storm Cat covered more than 30 mares in 2008, with three reportedly in foal. According to Ric Waldman, who managed the stallion for Overbrook, "We have been monitoring his semen throughout the breeding season, and there's been a decline in his semen quality."
Book
Storm Cat was the focus of the well-received 2002 nonfiction book "Stud: Adventures in Breeding" by author Kevin Conley.Storm Cat's progeny
- After Market
- Americas Storm
- Bluegrass CatBluegrass CatBluegrass Cat is a thoroughbred race horse. Foaled on January 23, 2003, he was a contender for the Triple Crown in 2006. However, he came up just short in the Kentucky Derby, finishing in second place, 6.5 lengths behind Barbaro.-Connections:...
- Cat Dreams
- Catinca
- Cat Thief
- Finder's Fee
- ForestryForestry (horse)Forestry is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was sired by Storm Cat out of the mare Shared Interest, by Pleasant Colony.Of his 11 starts, Forestry was very consistent as a three-year-old; in the money 10 times....
- Giant's CausewayGiant's Causeway (horse)Giant's Causeway is a Kentucky-bred thoroughbred racehorse who competed primarily in Europe. In 2000, he won five straight Group One races. His performance that year earned him European Horse of the Year honors....
- Good Reward
- Grand Reward
- Hennessy
- High Yield
- Hold That TigerHold That Tiger (horse)Hold That Tiger is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire who was bred in the United States and trained in Ireland...
- JalilJalil (horse)Jalil, , is an American Thoroughbred Stallion racehorse. His sire is the former leading North American stallion Storm Cat. His dam is the multiple Grade 1 winning race mare Tranquility Lake, sired by Rahy...
- Life Is SweetLife Is Sweet (horse)Life Is Sweet is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who in early 2009 was thought to be a threat to her unbeaten stablemate, Zenyatta. She was bred by her owners, Pam & Martin Wygod. Sired by Storm Cat, she is out of the Kris S...
- Many Rivers
- Meisho Bowler (Japan)
- One Cool Cat
- Sardula
- Star Programmer (Japan)
- Storm Flag FlyingStorm Flag FlyingStorm Flag Flying is an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2002, Storm Flag Flying won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, a race won by her dam in 1995. She also won the Frizette Stakes and Matron Stakes in her championship two year old season...
- Sweet Catomine
- Tabasco CatTabasco CatTabasco Cat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was best known for his performances in 1994 when he won the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, the second and third legs of the Triple Crown Series.-Background:...
- Tale of the Cat
- Youre'sothrilling
Sire-of-sires and broodmare sire
Storm Cat is also a noted sire of other successful stallions. By far, his most successful son at stud to date has been Giant's Causeway. Among his other sons which have achieved success as stallions are Hennessey, Forestry, and Tabasco Cat.His daughters have also made him a noteworthy broodmare sire. Progeny produced by daughters of Storm Cat include the 2004 Breeders' Cup Sprint
Breeders' Cup Sprint
The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs , the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World...
Winner and Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
-Winning Champion Sprinter, Speightstown, as well as the 2005 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a 1 1/16-mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.-Automatic Berths:Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup...
Winner and Champion 2-Year Old Filly, Folklore.
Storm Cat's success as a sire-of-sires and broodmare sire could be attributed to his top and bottom sire lines. His paternal grandsire, Northern Dancer, was also a well-known sire-of-sires, and his maternal grandsire, Secretariat, is regarded as perhaps the greatest broodmare sire in history.
Record sale prices
At the September 2004 Keeneland yearling salesKeeneland Sales
The Keeneland Sales is an American Thoroughbred auction house in Lexington, Kentucky founded in 1935 as a nonprofit racing/auction entity on 147 acres of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by Jack O. Keene...
, a Storm Cat colt since named Mr. Sekiguchi sold for $8 million, and in the 2005 sale, another of his colts, Jalil
Jalil (horse)
Jalil, , is an American Thoroughbred Stallion racehorse. His sire is the former leading North American stallion Storm Cat. His dam is the multiple Grade 1 winning race mare Tranquility Lake, sired by Rahy...
, sold for $9.7 million. The price was the highest ever paid for a yearling sold at the Keeneland September sale and is third-highest overall.
External links
- Storm Cat at StallionRegister.com
- Storm Cat's Pedigree at PedigreeQuery.com
- Overbrook Farm (click on "Storm Cat" below central graphic, or pull down "Stallions" menu")
- Daily Racing Form May 13, 2008 "Storm Cat pensioned at 25"
- Thoroughbred Times May 13, 2008 "Storm Cat pensioned at 25"