....EMERALD CAT[USA] Bay 2002 Storm Cat – Heeremandi, by Royal Academy EMERALD CAT[USA] was bred in Kentucky by Skara Glen Stables EMERALD CAT[USA] was acquired by Dr. Demi O'Byrne for $ 1,500,000 as a yearling at the 2003 Keeneland September Sales for the Susan Magnier/Michael Tabor partnership. EMERALD CAT[USA] was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at the historic Ballydoyle Stables in Tipperary's Golden Vale in Ireland. EMERALD CAT[USA] made his debut in a Leopardstown maiden race at 3 years in 2005, where he displayed a wonderful turn of foot over the metric mile and scored comfortably under Kieren Fallon. Promoted to Pattern Race company, EMERALD CAT[USA] was unlucky to come across unsuitable soft going in the 1400 m. Rock Of Gibraltar EBF Tetrarch Stakes, Gr.3 , at The Curragh. Here he battled on tenaciously in the testing conditions until the final 200 metres, when he had to give best to Indesatchel and finished second. For this effort, EMERALD CAT[USA] was rated 101 by Racing Post . EMERALD CAT[USA] started twice more, but was unfortunate enough to encounter soft ground conditions again, which blunted his turn of foot. EMERALD CAT[USA] was then retired and sold to stand at Capricorn Stud Farm , India. EMERALD CAT[USA] is a son of the stud sensation STORM CAT , the North American-based breed-shaper and champion sire, currently the highest-priced sire in the world at a stud fee of US$ 500,000, and sire of at least 127 stakes winners worldwide, whose sire sons include: GIANT'S CAUSEWAY , 9 wins, $3,077,960, incl. Juddmonte International Stakes, G1 ; leading sire CAT THIEF , 4 wins, $3,951,012, incl. Breeders' Cup Classic, G1 ; sire TALE OF THE CAT , 5 wins, $360,900, incl. King's Bishop Stakes, G2 ; leading sire. TABASCO CAT , 8 wins, $2,347,671, incl. Preakness Stakes, G1 , Belmont Stakes, G1 ; sire HENNESSY , champion 2-y-o, 4 wins, $580,400, incl. Hopeful Stakes, G1 ; leading sire HARLAN , 8 wins, $403,173, incl. Vosburgh Stakes, G1 ; leading sire. BLACK MINNALOUSHE , 4 wins, $490,005, in England & Ireland, incl. Irish 2000 Guineas, G1 ; sire FOREST WILDCAT , 9 wins, $478,860 , incl. Maryland Breeders' Cup Handicap, G3 ; leading sire. HOLD THAT TIGER , champion 2-y-o colt, 3 wins, $646,421, incl. Grand Criterium, G1 ; sire ONE COOL CAT , champion 2-y-o colt, 5 wins, $564,798, incl. National Stakes, G1 ; sire and whose daughters include: STORM FLAG FLYING , champion 2-y-o filly, 7 wins, $1,951,828, incl. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, G1 DENEBOLA , champion 2-y-o filly, 2 wins, $338,742, incl. Prix Marcel Boussac, G1 , Prix de Cabourg, G3 SWEET CATOMINE , champion 2-y-o filly, 5 wins, $1,059,600, incl. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, G1 EMERALD CAT[USA] is out of one the highest-priced broodmares ever, HEEREMANDI , herself sold at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale of 2001 for $ 2,150,000. EMERALD CAT[USA] 's dam, HEEREMANDI , was a very speedy stakes winner herself and is a three-parts sister to the dam of FLAWLESSLY , champion turf mare in North America. Their dam was a half-sister, amongst others, to breed-shaper HALO (the influential sire of the likes of SUNDAY SILENCE , DEVIL'S BAG , etc.) and to TOSMAH (champion female in North America) and QUEEN SUCREE (dam of Kentucky Derby winner CANNONADE ). The next dam, the stakes-winning COSMAH , was half-sister to NATALMA, dam of NORTHERN DANCER , and to Bubbling Beauty, dam of ARCTIC TERN . EMERALD CAT[USA] is in-bred 3 x 3 to CRIMSON SAINT , 3 x 4 to NORTHERN DANCER , 5 x 4 to PRINCEQUILLO and 5 x 5 to BULL PAGE . In short, EMERALD CAT[USA] owns one of the finest pedigrees in contemporary world breeding. Allied to his racecourse ability, this represents a potent brew, thus making him ideally placed to inject speed and class into bloodlines found in India today. |