Cape Blanco, a five-time grade/group I winner, will enter stud in 2012 at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky. His fee will be announced later.
An Irish-bred son of Galileo, Cape Blanco went unbeaten in three starts as a juvenile, including the Galileo E.B.F. Futurity Stakes (Ire-II), a race also won by North America’s reigning leading sire Giant's Causeway , who stands at Ashford. Returning as a sophomore, Cape Blanco defeated subsequent European champion 3-year-old male Workforce in the Totesport Dante Stakes (Eng-II) before adding a pair of group I successes in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes. Cape Blanco was a two-time Irish champion that year.
As a 4-year-old this year Cape Blanco shipped stateside three times, resulting in three straight grade I wins. The first two of them, the Man o’ War Stakes and the Arlington Million, came at the expense of North America’s reigning grass champion Gio Ponti . Cape Blanco’s final victory, in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (gr. IT), was gained despite sustaining a slab fracture of his knee during the race.
“Galileo is without doubt the hottest sire in the world right now,” said Ashford manager Dermot Ryan. “He sired two European champion 2-year-old colts from his first three crops and has no less than 10 different group or grade I winners including five European classic winners this year alone. We’ve wanted to stand one of his top sons for some time but we thought we should wait for the right one, and in Cape Blanco we’re confident we’ve got him.”
Cape Blanco was retired with nine wins from 15 starts and earnings of $3,855,665. He concluded his racing career for Mrs. Fitri Hay, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith.
A half brother to dual grade II winner Mr O’Brien, Cape Blanco is out of Irish Broodmare of the Year Laurel Delight (by Presidium).
