Tabasco Cat, who raced for his breeders, Overbrook Farm owner W.T. Young and David Reynolds, stood at Overbrook for five years until being purchased by the Japan Bloodstock Breeders Association last last year for $7 million. He's sired 10 stakes winners, eight of which won stakes in 2001.
Pedigree (PDF format)Tabasco Cat, sire of Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) favorite Habibti, was a 33-1 outsider in the 1993 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) at Santa Anita, but outran those odds to be third behind Brocco and Blumin Affair in the 1 1/16-mile race. His sire, Storm Cat, was beaten a nose at the wire by Tasso in the 1985 Juvenile when it was held at Aqueduct. While Tabasco Cat went on to be a dual classic winner of the Preakness (gr. I) and Belmont Stakes (gr. I) the following year, Storm Cat went on to greater glory as one of the breed's all-time leading sires. Owner Overbrook Farm announced that Storm Cat's 2002 stud fee would be increased to $500,000 live foal. Temperence Hill, the broodmare sire of Habibti, won the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes (gr. I) in 1980, four years before the inaugural Breeders' Cup, but the son of Stop the Music is generally looked upon as a failure at stud.Neither Miss Sobriety, dam of Habibti, nor maternal granddam Quillummo distinguished themselves in racing. Quillummo, a daughter of one-time top California sire Gummo, won a race in seven starts but earned no black type.Miss Sobriety was unraced after selling for $40,000 at the 1990 Keeneland September yearling sale. She was bred in Canada by Gustav Schickedanz and purchased as a yearling by John Meriwether, then sold by Meriwether the following year for just $3,300 at the Fasig-Tipton New York June sale of horses of racing age.Interestingly, Miss Sobriety wasn't bred until 1996, the year after her half-sister, Gal In a Ruckus (by Bold Ruckus), won the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). She was bred to Bold Ruckus and offered in the 1996 Keeneland November breeding stock sale by Lane's End, agent, but was bought back for $100,000. The foal she was carrying, Skeete's Bay, was bred by Will Farish and son Bill and sold by Lane's End for $125,000 as a weanling in November 1997 and resold for $200,000 as a yearling at Saratoga the following year. Still in training, he has two wins in 19 starts and is stakes placed.Miss Sobriety was sold by Lane's End at Keeneland November in 1997 in foal to Gold Fever (that foal never raced), with Robert Dawe Agency listed as buyer. One year later, Three Chimneys Farm, agent, consigned Miss Sobriety to the same sale while in foal to Tabasco Cat. Headley Bell's Nicoma Bloodstock, agent, purchased her for $120,000 on behalf of Rosemont Farm, which was given credit as breeder of record, since the farm owned Miss Sobriety at the time Habibti was foaled.Rosemont consigned Habibti to the 2000 Keeneland September sale through Mill Ridge Sales, agent, but she was bought back by her consignor for $55,000. Becky Thomas of Sequel Bloodstock purchased her privately after learning of the filly's availability from Tom Biederman, who was representing Mill Ridge at the sale and who told Thomas the consignor was hoping to sell her for $60,000. Thomas agreed to the price, and resold Habibti this past spring, getting a top bid of $450,000 from Saudi Arabian Prince Ahmed Salman's The Thoroughbred Corp.