By Elaine Belval
When Scat Daddy retired to stud, Ashford Stud created an eye-opening ad for the young stallion. It stated that Scat Daddy represented a fifth generation of G1 winning two-year-olds. Scat Daddy himself had won the G1 Champagne S. Scat Daddy’s sire, Johannesburg, won four G1 races at two and was a multiple champion at two in Europe and winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Grandsire Hennessy won the G1 Hopeful S. at Saratoga. Storm Cat won the G1 Young America S. Storm Bird won the G1 Dewhurst S. Going back another generation before the age of G1 stakes, Northern Dancer had won several two-year-old stakes races, including the Remsen (which has been G1 in various years). Northern Dancer also had won the Summer S. at Woodbine at two.
The Summer S. was run this past weekend at Woodbine, part of Woodbine’s major turf festival, highlighted by the Northern Dancer S. and the Woodbine Mile. Odds-on favorite Finale, by Scat Daddy, won the Summer S. for owners Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith; breeder Susan Bunning, and trainer Todd Pletcher. Earlier in the summer, Finale had won the Continental Mile S. on turf at Monmouth, and with his penchant for grass Finale is certain to be one of the favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Two-Year-Old Turf race.
Finale is the second GSW for Scat Daddy, whose runners are showing good form on turf and all weather. Earlier in September, Shared Property won the G3 Arlington-Washington Futurity on the Polytrack. Shared Property is hoping to start in the Futurity at Keeneland–also a synthetic track–with a run in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on dirt in mind. From 111 foals in his first crop, Scat Daddy has 48 runners and 15 winners. He has six stakes horses (the most of any freshman sire in 2011). One of those stakes horses is Daddy Nose Best, who finished third in the Summer S. to Finale. Scat Daddy also is represented by the third-place finisher in the G3 Schuylerville at Saratoga, a runner-up in a Monmouth turf stakes and a second-place finisher in a stakes on the turf in Japan. With Finale’s win in the Summer S., Scat Daddy is the leading freshman sire, with almost $800,000 in progeny earnings (and it is only mid-September).
Scat Daddy was a precious two-year-old, winning a 5.5 furlong maiden at Belmont’s spring/summer meeting. At three, he continued on the Kentucky Derby path with victories in the G1 Florida Derby and G2 Fountain of Youth. Scat Daddy’s strong race record and sire line, and the early and versatile success of his runners, bodes well for him.
Scat Daddy stands at Ashford Stud in Kentucky. His 2011 stud fee was $10,000.