Caracortado (foaled May 7, 2007, in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

) is an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

. His sire, Cat Dreams, is a son of the influential stallion

Storm Cat Storm Cat (February 27, 1983 – April 24, 2013) was an American Thoroughbred stallion whose breeding fee during the peak of his stud career was $500,000, the highest in North America at the time. He was the leading sire in North America in 1999 ...

. His dam, Mons Venus, is by

Maria's Mon Maria's Mon (April 24, 1993 – September 14, 2007) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that was the champion two-year-old colt in 1995 and produced two Kentucky Derby winners. Maria's Mon was foaled in Kentucky on April 24, 1993 at the farm ...

, the

American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse The American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when the ''Daily Racing Fo ...

of 1995 who won the

Sanford Stakes The Sanford Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the third week of July at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. A six furlong sprint race, the Grade III event is open to two-year-old horses. Inaug ...

, the Champagne Stakes, and the

Belmont Futurity Stakes The Futurity Stakes, commonly referred to as the Belmont Futurity, is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid-September or October at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, United States. Open to two-year-old horses, it is raced on turf ...

. Maria's Mon also sired

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

winners

Monarchos Monarchos (February 9, 1998 – October 22, 2016) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2001 Kentucky Derby in the second fastest winning time and overall third fastest time in the race's history. Background Monarchos was si ...

and Super Saver. Caracortado is owned by

Blahut Racing, LLC & Lo Hi Racing, and is bred and trained by Mike Machowsky.

Racing career

Caracortado (Spanish for “scarface“), a specialist on turf, was named as a juvenile by Machowsky for a scar down the middle of his head. Caracortado's sire, Cat Dreams, previously stood for a $1,500 stud fee. The chestnut Californian-bred gelding went undefeated through his first four starts at age two, capped by a victory in the 2009

California Breeders' Champion Stakes California Breeders' Champion Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1935 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. In 2011 it will be in its 72nd running. Run during the last week of December, the seven Furlong race ...

. At three, Caracortado won the 2010 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G2), establishing himself as among the better three-year-old colts in North America when he drew off to a length score over highly regarded sophomores Dave In Dixie, American Lion, and Tiz Chrome. With this win, the grandson of Storm Cat moved his career record to five wins in five starts. Caracortado lost his perfect status when he finished third in the

San Felipe Stakes The San Felipe Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade II event open to three-year-old horses. Normally held in early -March, it is raced at a distance of one and one ...

(G2) to

Sidney's Candy Sidney's Candy (foaled January 27, 2007 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He is sired by Candy Ride out of the Storm Cat mare Fair Exchange. He was named after Sidney Craig. Racing career Sidney's Candy set a new track recor ...

and Interactif. A troubled fourth in the

Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is currently run at a distance of miles on the dirt and carries a purse of $400,000. It is on ...

(G1) in April, he lacked sufficient graded earnings to enter the

, and he then finished seventh in the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

(G1). Following a six-month freshening after the Preakness, Caracortado returned under new rider

Joe Talamo Joseph "Joe" Talamo (born January 12, 1990 in Marrero, Louisiana) is a Champion jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Born and raised in Marrero on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, within the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area, J ...

with a win in his turf debut in a November 11 optional claiming race at

Hollywood Park Hollywood Park may refer to: Places United States * Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California * Hollywood Park, Chicago, a neighborhood in North Park, Chicago, Illinois * Hollywood Park, Inglewood, an entertainment complex and m ...

, defeating older rivals in near-record time. Entered in the December 26

Malibu Stakes The Malibu Stakes is a race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses of either gender held each December at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The race is at a distance of seven furlongs '' and is the first leg of Santa Anita Park's Strub Seri ...

(G1) on dirt at

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...

, he finished third to track record-setter Twirling Candy and Smiling Tiger. On January 29, 2011, he returned to grass as a newly turned four-year-old in the

Sunshine Millions Turf {{primary sources, date=April 2010 The Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes is a race for thoroughbred horses held in January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California or at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Half the eight races of the Sunsh ...

with a win in fast time over older graded stakes winners The Usual Q.T., Presious Passion, and Jeranimo. Bet to the 6/5 favorite in a field of ten for the grade one

Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap The Frank E. Kilroe Mile is an American Thoroughbred horse race run in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to horses four years of age and older, it is raced over a distance of one mile (1.6 km). The Grade I race curre ...

, he came from far back to just miss in a

photo finish A photo finish occurs in a sporting race when multiple competitors cross the finishing line at nearly the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to determine which of the competitors crossed the line first, a photo or video taken at the finis ...

to Fluke in the fastest turf mile of the Santa Anita meeting. He skipped an international campaign through the spring and focused on top North American grass races leading up to the November

Breeders Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, i ...

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

. On July 3, 2011, Caracortado finished second to Courageous Cat in the grade one

Shoemaker Mile Stakes The Shoemaker Mile Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses age three years old and older over a distance of one mile on the turf held annually in late May at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, USA. The event currently ...

on turf. On August 27, 2011, he won the grade two

Del Mar Mile Handicap The Del Mar Mile Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years and older run over a distance of one mile on the turf held annually in August at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The event currently car ...

on turf. After finishing fifth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint to Regally Ready after a wide trip, Caracortado made his 2012 debut in the January 8 Grade IIIT

Daytona Stakes The Daytona Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older run over the distance of about furlongs on the downhill turf scheduled annually in late May at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Hist ...

over Santa Anita's downhill turf course. He came from far back in a short field to score by 1{{fraction, 1, 4 lengths over Victory Pete and Regally Ready.

References

External links

Caracortado's pedigree and racing stats

Caracortado's stakes replays, stats

2011 Breeders' Cup Divisional Point Leaders

The Jockey Club registry for Caracortado
2007 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Virginia Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 23-b