Storm Cat (February 27, 1983 – April 24, 2013) was an AmericanThoroughbred racehorse and stallion whose breeding fee during the peak of his stud career was $500,000, the highest in North America at the time. He was theleading sire in North America in 1999 and 2000, and the leading juvenile (two-year-old) sire a record seven times. He sired 108graded stakes winners and eight champions, includingGiant's Causeway, who also became a leading sire.

Although best known as a sire, Storm Cat was one of the best two-year-old racehorses of his generation, winning the Grade IYoung America Stakes and finishing second in theBreeders' Cup Juvenile.

Storm Cat was a dark bay horse with a whitestar and stripe on his forehead and whitesocks on his left feet. He was sired byStorm Bird, a son ofNorthern Dancer. His dam wasTerlingua, an outstanding sprinter who was sired bySecretariat.^[3]William T. Young ofOverbrook Farm purchased Terlingua in partnership with Bill Lockridge, who arranged the mating with Storm Bird. Lockridge then sold his share of Terlingua to Young, who thus became Storm Cat's breeder of record.^[4]

Storm Cat was foaled at Derry Meeting Farm in Pennsylvania. As a yearling in July 1984, Young intended to offer Storm Cat at theKeeneland Sales. However, Storm Cat tested positive forequine viral arteritis (EVA), and had to be withdrawn. "It was funny", said Young in a later interview. "Storm Cat might have tested positive for EVA, but he never had it. Anyway, Keeneland wanted me to bring him back in the September sale, but I just decided to keep him and race him." He was trained byJonathan Sheppard, who was best known as a steeplechase trainer.^[4]

Storm Cat stood 16 hands (64 inches, 163 cm) high at maturity. He was a high-spirited, well-built horse with a powerful hip, but suffered fromoffset knees.^[3] Peppermints were his favorite treat.^[5]

Storm Cat was the focus of the well-received 2002 nonfiction book "Stud: Adventures in Breeding" by author Kevin Conley.

Storm Cat made his racing debut on August 11, 1985 atSaratoga racetrack, finishing second. He then won his next two starts, a maiden special weight race at Saratoga on August 21 and an allowance race at theMeadowlands on September 9. He then finished second in the World Appeal Stakes on September 28 before winning the Grade IYoung America Stakes on October 10, both races held at the Meadowlands.^[2]

Storm Cat entered the 1985Breeders' Cup Juvenile as the favorite and led by as much as three lengths down the stretch. In the last strides however, he was run down byTasso and finished second by a nose.^[6] "If he had won that race," said Young, "he would have been a champion, and I think I would have been able to finally sell him."^[4]

Instead, Storm Cat underwent surgery over the winter for bone chips in his knees,^[3] then suffered a tendon injury.^[4] He returned to the racetrack in October 1986, winning an allowance race at the Meadowlands and finishing fourth in the Annapolis Stakes.^[2] He was kept in training at age four but was never fit enough to race. He retired with a record of four wins from eight starts.^[7]

Storm Cat retired tostud atOverbrook Farm inLexington, Kentucky in 1988 with modest expectations. His initial stud fee was $30,000, dropping to $20,000 in 1991. Even at this price, demand was low so Young would sometimes enter into foal-sharing agreements with the owners of quality mares – Young would pay the stud fee in exchange for part ownership of the resulting foal. In some cases, Young even gave seasons away for free to keep Storm Cat's stud career alive.^[4][8]

Storm Cat's first crop of 39 foals started racing in 1991 and were only moderately successful, with average earnings of just $16,850.^[4] Even so, two members of that crop eventually became Grade I winners. When his second crop started racing in 1992, he started to establish a reputation as the sire of fast, precocious two-year-olds. He was the leading juvenile sire in North America in 1992, a title he would earn a record seven times (1992, 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002, and 2004). The previous record holder was Bold Ruler with six such titles.^[3]

In 1994, Young received theEclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder, in no small part due to the success of Storm Cat's sonTabasco Cat, who won thePreakness Stakes andBelmont Stakes.^[9]

In 1995, Storm Cat's stud fee increased to $100,000, which was considered a bargain after yearlings from that crop sold for an average of $500,000. The crop foaled in 1996 includedAljabr, a multipleGroup One winner in Europe on the turf, andCat Thief, a Grade I winner in America on the dirt whose wins included the 1999Breeders' Cup Classic. These wins propelled Storm Cat to the top of the North American sire list in 1999.^[7]

Storm Cat's next crop included 'iron horse' Giant's Causeway, who won five straight Group One races in Europe and then finished second in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Classic. Storm Cat repeated as the leading sire in North America, and also finished second in the standings for Great Britain and Ireland.^[7]

The crop foaled in 1998 was the first to average more than $1 million at auction and includedBlack Minnaloushe, who won the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St. James Palace Stakes. Storm Cat's stud fee increased to $200,000 in 1999, then to $300,000 in 2001. From 2002 to 2007, his fee was $500,000, the highest in North America at the time. His yearlings continued to be in high demand, reaching a peak in 2005 when 28 of his offspring were sold for an average price of $1,763,750.^[7] At the September 2004Keeneland yearling sales, a Storm Cat colt since named Mr. Sekiguchi sold for $8 million, and in the 2005 sale, another of his colts,Jalil, sold for $9.7 million. The price was the highest ever paid for a yearling sold at the Keeneland September sale and is third-highest overall.^[10] All told, 462 of his yearlings were sold at auction for a total of about $319 million, including 91 yearlings that brought $1 million or more.^[11]

In 2008, Storm Cat remained in high demand with a fee of $300,000 but was retired from service because of declining fertility. Of 30 mares covered that year, only three were reported in foal.^[10]

In 2009, Storm Cat's services were offered toQuarter Horse breeders usingartificial insemination, which is not allowed with Thoroughbreds. He sired one graded stakes winner this way, named Stray Cat.^[12] In 2015, it was announced that twoclones of Storm Cat had been produced, though one subsequently died in a paddock accident. The clone is not considered a Thoroughbred by the rules established byThe Jockey Club and the plan is to use him to breed polo ponies.^[13]

At the time of his death in April 2013, he had sired 35 grade/group one winners, eight champions, 108 winners ofgroup orgraded stakes races, and 180 stakes winners worldwide, who have earnings in excess of $128 million.^[14]

"For years Storm Cat has been very aware of who he is," said stallion manager Wes Lanter. "I've been fortunate to work around a couple of really great horses. I think the top ones kind of have that attitude in them that says, 'I am the best.' And I think part of that attitude is imparted on their progeny, and that, as much as good conformation, ability, tenacity and desire, is key to the success of a horse."^[15]

Champions sired by Storm Cat include:

• Silken Cat (1995 Canadian Champion 2yo filly)
• Aljabr (1998Cartier Award Champion 2yo colt)
• Giant's Causeway (2000 Cartier Award Horse of the Year
• Hold That Tiger (2002 Cartier Award Champion 2yo colt)
• Storm Flag Flying (2002 American Champion 2yo filly)
• Denebola (2003 Champion 2yo filly in France)
• One Cool Cat (2003 Cartier Award Champion 2yo colt)
• Sweet Catomine (2004 American Champion 2yo filly)

Storm Cat is also a noted sire of other successful stallions. By far his most successful son at stud was Giant's Causeway, who was a three-time leading sire in North America. Like Storm Cat, Giant's Causeway produced Grade/Group One winners on both turf and dirt, and left behind several promising sons at stud, including dual French classic winnerShamardal.^[17]

Storm Cat also left behind numerous other sons at stud, including Harlan, Hennessy, Forest Wildcat, Forestry, Stormy Atlantic, Tale of the Cat, andBernstein. These sons have also produced further generations of good sires such as his grandsonHarlan's Holiday and great-grandsonScat Daddy,^[17] the sire of 2018 Triple Crown winnerJustify. Bluegrass Cat and Freud are successful regional sires in California and New York. Tiger Ridge became a successful sire when exported to South Africa.^[18]

His daughters have also made him a noteworthy broodmare sire. He was the leading broodmare sire in North America from 2012 to 2014^[3] and has been in the top 10 every year between 2005 and 2015. Progeny produced by daughters of Storm Cat include:^[19][20]

• Speightstown, 2004Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and Champion Sprinter
• Folklore, 2005Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and Champion 2-Year Old Filly
• Bodemeister
• Close Hatches, 2014 Champion Older Female Horse
• Shared Belief, 2013 Champion 2yo male horse
• Honor Code, 2015 Champion Older Male Horse
• Kizuna (JPN), winner of the 2013Tōkyō Yūshun
• Real Steel (JPN), winner of the 2016Dubai Turf; sired 2025Saudi Cup winnerForever Young
• Loves Only You (JPN), full sister of Real Steel and winner of the 2021Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf
• Lord Kanaloa (JPN),JRA Hall of Fame nominee and sire ofAlmond Eye andPanthalassa

Closest ancestor of two triple crown winners

Storm Cat is the great-grandsire ofAmerican Pharoah, winner of the 2015U.S. Triple Crown and the great-great-grandsire ofJustify, winner of the 2018 U.S. Triple Crown. No other horse appears within five generations of both champions' bloodlines.^[21][22]

Young died in 2004^[4] and the Overbrook stock was dispersed in 2009. However, Storm Cat remained at the farm until his death at the age of 30 on April 24, 2013. He was euthanized due to the infirmities of old age. He may also have been suffering from cancer at the time, but it was felt the testing would have been too taxing for a horse of his age.^[3]

• Bloodhorse report on the 2006 Fasig-Tipton Florida auction

• Breeders' Cup Juvenile

• 1983 racehorse births
• 2013 racehorse deaths
• Racehorses bred in Pennsylvania
• Racehorses trained in the United States
• United States Champion Thoroughbred Sires
• Thoroughbred family 8-c

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata