Strategic Maneuver, a two-time grade I winner at 2 in 1993, was put down Sept. 24 due to the infirmities of old age at Betty Moran's Brushwood Farm in Pennsylvania. The daughter of Cryptoclearance was 23.
Bred in Kentucky by Victoria and Michael Ashford, Strategic Maneuver was out of the Conquistador Cielo mare Prayer Wheel and was a half sister to stakes winners Ashford Castle and Missionary. She was top drawer at 2, winning five of six starts for owner Phil Teinowitz and trainer Flint "Scotty" Schulhofer.
After breaking her maiden at first asking at Belmont Park in June of 1993 she topped the quick Astas Foxy Lady by a neck in the six-furlong Schuylerville Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga Race Course, and she followed that with a 1 1/2-length win over Astas Foxy Lady and Delta Lady in the grade I Spinaway Stakes.
Back at Belmont she won the seven-furlong Matron Stakes (gr. I) by 12 1/2 lengths in the slop. She subsequently flopped in the grade I Frizette Stakes at one mile, finishing seventh behind Heavenly Prize. A rebounding win in the nine-furlong Demoiselle Stakes (gr. II) at Aqueduct Racetrack drew the curtain on her juvenile campaign.
She made four starts at 4, all in stakes, but was unable to return to form. Overall, she won five of 10 starts, with one third, and earned $414,340.
The following year she was bought by Eaton Sales, agent, for $800,000 at the Keeneland November sale while in foal to Danzig.
As a broodmare she was bred to only the best and delivered 12 foals. Her second foal, Ishiguru (by Danzig) won two stakes, including the Miller Flying Five Stakes (Ire-III) at Leopardstown.
Strategic Maneuver also produced Cat Fighter, a grade II-winning daughter of Storm Cat. Daughter Wile Cat, also by Storm Cat, is the dam of Shumoos, a group II winner in England and runner-up in the 2012 Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint.
Her offspring were quite attractive in the sale ring. Her 1997 Danzig filly sold for $900,000 at the 1998 Keeneland September yearling sale; Ishiguru sold for $1.15 million at the 1999 Keeneland July yearling sale; Cat Fighter sold for $700,000 at the 2001 July sale; and Wile Cat brought $1.3 million at the 2004 September sale. Her 2005 colt by Storm Cat sold for $1 million in 2006 at the September sale. All told eight of her yearlings for $6,050,000 (an average of $756,250).
