Leading Sire Scat Daddy Passes Away

Scat Daddy (Johannesburg–Love Style by Mr. Prospector), who was in the midst of a breakout year on the racetrack and in the sale's ring, passed away of an apparent cardiac arrest Monday at Ashford Stud in Versailles, KY. He was 11.

“Scat Daddy was in the best of health, but totally unexpectedly, he dropped dead when walking out of his paddock,” Ashford Stud's Dermot Ryan said in a release. “Everyone here at Ashford is very upset as he was a smashing horse with a great career ahead of him.”

Bred by Axel Wend, Scat Daddy was purchased for $250,000 at the 2005 Keeneland September sale by James Scatuorchio. The dark bay graduated in his Belmont unveiling in the summer of his juvenile year for trainer Todd Pletcher and rolled to a win in the GII Sanford S. After a second-place finish in the GII Hopeful S., James and Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith bought into the colt, and he was campaigned by the partnership for the remainder of his career. Winner of the GI Champagne S., he was fourth in the 2006 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile before a third-place finish in the GIII Holy Bull S. Scat Daddy annexed the GII Fountain of Youth S. and GI Florida Derby and retired to after an unplaced effort in the GI Kentucky Derby.

“I tremendously enjoyed racing him,” Scatuorchio said. “Todd always felt that he was a special horse. Then to watch his stud career this year explode by quantum leaps as compared to previous years was exciting. He was just starting to hit his stride. It's fun to see a horse that you campaigned go on and be successful at stud. It was unfortunate for the industry because I think we lost a good stallion today. I appreciate the response I've gotten, a lot of friends and business partners have sent their condolences and have been very kind and I want to thank them. It's nice to see a lot of folks who have bred to him and were excited about him, and luckily, some of them still have foals by him.”

A Brief, But Prosperous Stud Career

Scat Daddy, who began his stallion career at Ashford for a fee of $30,000 in 2008, stood for $35,000 in 2015 was set to stand the 2016 season at $100,000.

He was the champion freshman sire of 2011 and leading 2-year-old sire of 2015. The dark bay produced 890 foals from seven crops. In that time, he sired 41 graded stakes winners, 68 stakes winners and 42 black-type runners. Scat Daddy is responsible for 384 winners from 670 foals of racing age, giving him a winning percentage of 57%. Of the 5,973 times his progeny started, they won 1,005 times for a winning percentage of 17%. In total, his progeny earned $32,355,986.

Scat Daddy's stud career was off to an auspicious start with G2 UAE Derby and G2 Royal Lodge S. winning millionaire Daddy Long Legs leading his first crop. Other notable progeny from his first-crop include GI American Oaks and GI Del Mar Oaks winner Lady of Shamrock–who, upon retirement, was purchased by Wertheimer & Frere for $2 million at the 2013 Keeneland November Sale; multiple graded winners Handsome Mike and Daddy Nose Best; and graded winners Finale, Scatman and Shared Property.

The Coolmore stallion was also responsible for 2013 G1 Darley Prix Morny victor No Nay Never, MGSW El Kabeir; MGSW Frac Daddy; GII La Jolla S. winner Dice Flavor; and GII With Anticipation S. winner Azar.

Among five juvenile graded stakes winners in 2015 are GI Frizette S. winner Nickname, GII Matron S. winner Pretty N Cool and G2 Queen Mary S. winner Acapulco.

His offspring were equally successful on both turf and dirt. Of 670 foals of racing age, 248–37%–were winners on dirt, while 206–31%–were winners on turf. His crops were almost evenly split between male and female and they, too, had similar statistics. Of 321 males of racing age, 181 were winners–56%–while 203 of his 349 females of racing age were winners–58%.

Scat Daddy began to break through in the sale's ring this past year, as well. He was responsible for this year's Fasig-Tipton Florida topper, a colt out of Alittlebitearly, who fetched $1.4 million from M.V. Magnier. He also saw a filly out of Global Finance bring $750,000 from Magnier at the OBS March Sale and subsequent winner Arabian Leopard brought $575,000 from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa al Maktoum at OBS June. A yearling colt out of Miss Dolce went to Lael Stable for $600,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, and a colt out of Kauai Calls garnered $475,000 from Zayat Stables at that same sale. His top-priced weanling of 2015 was a colt out of Mostaqeleh that went to Hill 'n' Dale Bloodstock for $500,000 at Keeneland November.

Shuttling Sensation

Scat Daddy was also a top sire in Chile, having shuttled to Haras Paso Nevado from 2009 to 2011. He earned the leading sire title for 2013 and 2014. He sired four Chilean champions in 2014 champion 2-year-old colt Il Campione, 2014 champion 2-year-old filly Dacita (Chi)–who was victorious in the GI Ballston Spa S. this summer at Saratoga–2013 champion 2-year-old filly and 2014 champion 3-year-old filly Solaria (Chi) and 2013 champion 2-year-old colt El Bromista (Chi).