Caracaro , a grade 1-placed 3-year-old colt by top-class sire Uncle Mo , has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Pope McLean's Crestwood Farm near Lexington in 2021, it was announced Nov. 21. He will stand his first year at stud for $6,500 live foal stands and nurses.
Caracaro was bred in Kentucky by SF Bloodstock out of the War Front daughter Peace Time. He was raced by Global Thoroughbreds and Top Racing and trained by Gustavo Delgado. Global Thoroughbreds purchased him as a weanling for $95,000 from Buckland Sales' consignment to the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
"Caracaro, from day one, was very talented and performed brilliantly at the highest level. I consider Caracaro to be a horse in another category and the best horse I have ever trained," Delgado said.
"We are excited to stand Caracaro, a quality grade 1-performing son of Uncle Mo, who is proving himself to be a sire of sires," McLean said. "Three of the top four freshman sires by earnings are sons of Uncle Mo. Caracaro was dominant breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park. … He followed that up with a pair of runner-up finishes at Saratoga in the grade 3 Peter Pan and $1 million grade 1 Travers Stakes. Caracaro has a lot to offer breeders as a grade 1 performer by Uncle Mo out of a War Front mare."
Caracaro broke his maiden second time out Jan. 11 this year and ran one mile at Gulfstream in 1:35.16, the best time at a mile for a 3-year-old during the meet, while winning by six lengths. After a six-month respite, the bay finished a determined second, a neck behind the winner, in the July 16 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course, where he battled with Country Grammer to the wire. He followed that with a runner-up finish in the Aug. 8 Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) behind four-time grade 1 winner Tiz the Law .
Caracaro competed at an elite level, with a top Beyer Speed Figure of 101 in the Travers. He defeated graded stakes-quality runners like Jesus' Team, who went on to run second in the Nov. 7 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1); Mystic Guide , the winner of the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1); and graded stakes winners Modernist , Max Player , Country Grammer, and Uncle Chuck .
Having finished first or second in all four starts, Caracaro was retired with earnings of $238,800.
