THE STORM CAT/MARIA'S MON CROSS

Although five-year-old, Caracortado (Cat Dreams), is not a new stakes winner having won a Gr 2 in both 2010 and 2011, his recent victory in the Daytona Stakes (Gr 3T), Santa Anita, bought to my attention the emergence of the Storm Cat/Mara’s Mon cross. Since 2007 seven different sires from the Storm Cat sire-line have all produced a stakes winner to Maria’s Mon (Wavering Monarch) daughters.

The first stakes winner bred on the Storm Cat/Maria’s Mon cross was Bear Holiday (Harlan’s Holiday), who won a pair of juvenile Listed races in Canada in July and August of 2007.This was quickly by Raymi Coya (Van Nistelrooy), who was campaigned in Europe and won the Oh So Sharp Stakes (Gr 3), for two-year-old filles. She followed up this win with a Listed win the following season.

It was not until 2009 that the next stakes winners were bred on the cross, when Forestry Steel (Forestry) won the Sunny's Halo Stakes, for two-year-olds. However the following year, Caracortado won his first Gr 2 when winning the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (Gr 2), on the All-weather surface.

The foal North American crop of 2009 has produced three stakes winners for Storm Cat/Maria’s Mon cross, all of which were juvenile winners. These were Now I Know (Pure Prize), who won the Delta Downs Princess Stakes (Gr 3), Mighty Caroline (Stormy Atlantic), having won Sorrento Stakes (Gr 3) at Del Mar and Lady Of Fifty (After Market).

The pedigree pattern of Storm Cat over a Maria’s Mon mare is certainly interesting as in includes a duplication of the Menow/Eight Thirty cross. What is also very interesting about this cross is that is only one of the seven stakes winners bred on the cross won on the dirt surface, which was Now I Know (Pure Prize), with the other six winning on either the all weather surfaces or the turf, (or in Caracortado case on both).

Maria’s Mon, who died in 2007 aged 14, was champion two-year-old of 1995, having won the Champagne Stakes (G1) and Futurity (G1) Stakes, both at Belmont Park. As a sire he has produced 50 stakes winners which includes eight Gr 1 winners, which include Monarchos (Kentucky Derby), Latent Heat (Malibu Stakes), Wait A White (American Oaks/Yellow Ribbon (twice)) and Super Saver (Kentucky Derby). Maria’s Mon is currently the dam-sire to 210 mares (of 528 foals of racing age) which have produced 13 stakes winners of which seven are by Strom Cat sires. CWC