The legacy of deceased champion sire Storm Cat continues to be felt all over the world. The former Overbrook based sire is ancestor of both the 2018 US Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) and Saturday’s Gr1 Ubet Stradbroke Handicap hero Santa Ana Lane (Lope De Vega).
Storm Cat
Justify’s sire Scat Daddy is by Storm Cat grandson Johannesburg (Hennessy), while Lope De Vega, sire of Santa Ana Lane, is by Storm Cat grandson Shamardal.
It is perhaps food for thought that Justify is, so far, the only Northern Dancer line descendant to win the US Triple Crown – with Justify having four lines of that Kentucky Derby winner in his six generation pedigree.
Storm Cat is a link between the two most recent Triple Crown winners, with his son Yankee Gentleman featuring as broodmare sire of 2015 Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile).
Another member of this male line making his mark is Coolmore Stud’s hot young sire No Nay Never (Scat Daddy). The latter, whose wins included the Gr1 Prix Morny, is currently the Leading First Crop Sire in GB and Ireland, with No Nay Never’s first two-year-olds including Listed EBF Fillies’ Sprint Stakes winner Servalan and Woodcote Stakes winner Cosmic Law.
It is hard not to think that this does not bode well for Justify when he retires to the breeding shed.
Justify – set to carry the dynasty
Storm Cat, a dual champion sire and seven times champion 2yo sire in USA, is broodmare sire of emerging Japanese sire and outstanding sprinter Lord Kanaloa (King Kamehameha). The latter, whose first crop yielded classic winner Almond Eye, is currently Japan’s Leading Second Crop Sire and looks destined for a bright career at stud. Out of the Storm Cat mare Lady Blossom, Lord Kanaloa is from the same family as US 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat –the broodmare sire of Storm Cat.
Storm Cat, who has proved an exceptional broodmare sire and already has three US Broodmare Sires titles, is also broodmare sire of recent Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) winner Study Of Man (Deep Impact).
The true legend, Storm Cat
Other major classic winners produced by daughters of Storm Cat include Gleneagles (2000 Guineas, Irish 2000 Guineas), Marvellous (Irish 1000 Guineas), Churchill (2000 Guineas, Irish 2000 Guineas) and Kizuna (Japanese Derby).
Deep Impact has built up an exceptional record when mated to Storm Cat mares, with this mating having produced at least seven top level Gr1 winners –including Study Of Man’s ¾ brother, and Dubai Turf winner, Real Steel.
Remarkably, yet another top performer out of a Storm Cat mare made his mark at Belmont Park this weekend.
Champion Sprinter Speightstown (out of Storm Cat champion Silken Cat) is the sire of Cigar Mile hero Jersey Town, whose son Bee Jersey won the Gr1 Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap on Saturday.
Captain Al (Al Mufti – Off To War)
Bee Jersey, out of the Rahy mare Bees, is from a family well known to South Africa. His fourth dam is Lassie Dear – dam of Al Mufti, whose son Captain Al was responsible for Saturday’s graded winners Undercover Agent and The Secret Is Out. Lassie Dear is also third dam of Cartier Champion Duke Of Marmalade –sire of Saturday’s Kenilworth Fillies Nursery second Santa Clara.
Storm Cat, who left behind approximately 180 black type winners, enjoyed plenty of success as a sire of sires, with his notable stallion sons include Giant’s Causeway, Hennessy, Tale Of The Cat, Stormy Atlantic, Bernstein, and Forest Wildcat.
Another son, the short-lived Harlan, sired triple Gr1 winner and highly successful stallion Harlan’s Holiday. The latter, sire of more than 90 black type winners-despite dying young at the age of 14, is sire of one of North America’s best, and most commercially successful, sires in the form of Into Mischief. The latter is the sire of recent Kentucky Derby third Audible and has nine stakes winners to his name this year.
Harlan’s Holiday is also sire of champion Shanghai Bobby, whose son Habile Bobby won a Gr1 race in Brazil this weekend.
A horse whose career was marred by soundness issues, and a son of a good, if not great, sire in Storm Bird, Storm Cat began his stud career at a fee of $30 000 (which dropped to $20 000). His fee would eventually reach $500 000, and his runners would bank over $128 000 000 in stakes.
It remains to be seen, quite which stallion/stallions will keep this potent branch of the Northern Dancer male line going.
Lope De Vega
Ireland’s Lope de Vega (by Shamardal) looks very promising and he could well ensure the Storm Cat male line continues to make its mark in Europe, while No Nay Never is another likely candidate in Ireland.
Into Mischief appears the best bet to maintain Storm Cat line success, from the proven sires, in North America, with Scat Daddy’s ever growing number of sire sons, which will in all likelihood include the likes of Justify and the regally bred UAE Derby winner Mendelssohn, also likely to contribute both in the US and Europe.
Safe to say, many will expect Justify to continue this male line success story when he retires to stud!
