The commercial stallion market loves 2-year-old success, and while it's very early, freshman stallion Caracaro has given co-owners Global Thoroughbreds and Crestwood Farm a reason to get excited.
Caracaro had his first winner when the filly West Memorial beat the boys in the $250,000 Kentucky Juvenile Stakes May 2 at Churchill Downs.
"She's a very, very nice filly," said West Memorial's trainer John Hancock. "We saw her at the farm before the Keeneland September sale and we fell in love with how she floated across the grass. We tried two times to buy her at the farm, and couldn't get it done, and we ended up buying her through the sales ring."
Hancock recommended West Memorial to Texas horse owner Reagan Swinbank, who had his business partner Black Type Thoroughbreds check the filly out at Legacy Bloodstock's consignment at the Keeneland sale. Black Type's Maddie Mattmiller, as agent, signed the ticket at $45,000.
West Memorial was bred in Kentucky by Equine Futures. She is out of the unraced Super Saver mare Vita Bella, a half sister to grade 2-placed stakes winner Justique and grade 1 winner and sire Mo Town , who is by Caracaro's sire Uncle Mo .
West Memorial debuted at Keeneland April 7 and ran second by a head to The Queens M G, a filly who is under consideration for Royal Ascot. West Memorial faced the heavily favored Wesley Ward trainee Shoot It True in the Kentucky Juvenile.
"I've sold a lot of 2-year-olds off these races at the Keeneland spring meet, but to run like she did out of the 11 hole, that was something," Hancock said of West Memorial's second-place debut going 4 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland. "I told everyone before the stakes that Wesley's horse wasn't tested, but she'll get tested in this spot. This filly has a big heart."
West Memorial chased a fast pace from third place and rallied in the lane to win the Kentucky Juvenile by 1 3/4 lengths.
Count Hancock among Caracaro's fans. After realizing West Memorial was a quality runner, he tried to buy another Caracaro 2-year-old out of the Ocala Breeders' March 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale via phone bidding, but he said it sold out of his price range.
Now he has bred two mares to the grade 1-placed stallion who flashed talent in a four-race career cut short by injury.
"We hooked up with Crestwood and bred two mares to (Caracaro)," Hancock said. "I think they're gonna be blue-collar horses. They're gonna do the job and they're gonna make money. It looks like they are durable and maybe a little bit precocious, which you don't necessarily expect the Uncle Mo line to be."
Juvenile Sales Success
Caracaro's progeny certainly got the job done at the first two juvenile sales of the year. He had 18 2-year-olds cataloged in the OBS March and OBS Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training sales combined, and 14 made it to the ring, with all 14 reported as sold (includes post-ring sales). That's a 78% clearance rate from the number cataloged and a 100% sold-from-offered rate—good signs for their athleticism, toughness, and desirability.
Five of the Caracaro juveniles went for six figures, lead by a $775,000 filly who worked two furlongs in :20 2/5 at OBS Spring. Donato Lanni signed the ticket on behalf of Three Amigos.
"We're happy to get her," said Lanni. "(Caracaro) is a son of Uncle Mo. I thought overall, (the Caracaros) look pretty good. He is throwing a beautiful, athletic horse. You see a lot of Uncle Mo influence.
"She did everything she was asked to do. She went fast, galloped out fast, came back great. We're happy."
Global Thoroughbreds, who co-owned the 2020 Travers Stakes (G1) runner-up Caracaro on the track, also consigned the $775,000 filly. Global is owned by Venezuelan Rafael Celis, whose operation is based in Ocala, Fla.
So far, Caracaro's 2-year-olds have sold for an average of $157,429 and an $80,000 median, not bad for a crop that was produced on a $6,500 stud fee. He has five hips cataloged in the upcoming Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, and seven in the OBS June 2-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale.
Stallion Market Mover
Crestwood's Pope McLean Jr. reported increased interest in the 7-year-old son of Uncle Mo at his family's Lexington farm.
"What we saw in him is starting to shine through, and people have been taking notice because we are getting a lot of calls on him," McLean said. "We're pretty excited about it. He's been very well received."
According to The Jockey Club's reports of mares bred, Caracaro saw 76, 72, and 67 mares in his first three seasons. His stud fee, which has been advertised at $6,500 since he retired, has been increased to $12,500 for breeders who are late to the party in 2024.
"We bumped him to $12,500 based on demand, and he warranted that jump," McLean said. "The reality is a lot of people are showing up recognizing he is starting to get it done. If the flipside were the case, we'd be struggling."
McLean expects Caracaro will breed a full book, which at Crestwood could mean up to 140 mares.
"People started noticing him more after those 2-year-old sales, and that was an impressive race by that filly. There's a little bit of buzz about him," McLean said. "We are close to full now, but we want to make sure we get everyone in who is interested. He has a good libido, and he is a fertile horse.
"I think he's got a lot of upside. He's a good-sized, well-balanced son of Uncle Mo. I don't think we lose anybody when they come to see him."
