Kentucky Derby 2015 - El Kabeir Pedigree Profile

El Kabeir made every step a winning one as he wired the field in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G-2) on November 29. Calvin Borel got the pretty gray colt to relax on the lead through early fractions of :23.62, :47.50, 1:12.48 and 1:38.00. Imperia didn’t make the task easy, surging late to just miss the victory by a head. Eagle was also running late, and third to the top pair by only ¾ length. It was five lengths back to the fourth place finisher, International Star. El Kabeir hit the wire in a final time of 1:44.82, which is a second slower than last year’s Jockey Club winner Tapiture, but comparable to the winning times of 2012’s Uncaptured and 2011’s Gemologist. 

Trained by John Terranova, II, EL KABEIR (Scat Daddy - Great Venue, by Unbridled's Song) previously finished second in the one mile Nashua (G-2) over a tiring, sloppy track. He was bred by Rustlewood Farm, Inc. Zayat Stables purchased El Kabeir for $250,000 out of the 2013 OBS August Yearling Sale. El Kabeir has a 5-2-1-1 ($268,892) race record and earned ten points towards a start in next year’s Kentucky Derby. With his latest victory, El Kabeir joins multiple Grade I winner American Pharoah and the steadfast stakes horse Mr. Z, as the current Zayat horses on the 2015 Kentucky Derby trail.

 

Scat Daddy won his maiden, Sanford Stakes (G-2) and Champagne Stakes, but was a distant fourth behind the spectacular Street Sense in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. At three, Scat Daddy made his presence known on the Derby trail with victories in the Fountain of Youth (G-2) and Florida Derby (G-1). However, Scat Daddy could do no better than an eighteenth place finish in the Kentucky Derby. His career was cut short due to a tendon injury he sustained a rough trip in the Kentucky Derby.

 

Scat Daddy (Johannesburg - Love Style, by Mr. Prospector)

Race record:  9-5-1-1 ($1,334,300)

 

1^st – Florida Derby (G-1) 1 1/8 miles

1^st – Champagne Stakes (G-1) 1 mile

1^st – Fountain of Youth Stakes (G-2) 1 1/8 miles

1^st – Sanford Stakes (G-2) 6F

2^nd – Hopeful Stakes (G-1) 7F

3^rd – Holy Bull Stakes (G-3) 1 mile

 

Scat Daddy ranked in the top five of the leading sire lists for three years. He dominated the first and second crop sire list and was ranked fourth in terms of earnings on the third crop sire list last year.  The son of World Champion Johannesburg is producing tough runners who like to win.In 2012, Scat Daddy had his first two Kentucky Derby representatives. His son Sunland Park Derby champ Daddy Nose Best finished an even tenth in the Derby, while European import Daddy Long Legs didn’t handle the dirt and was last. 

 

Scat Daddy’s babies win over all surfaces and some, like Frac Daddy, have won or placed over every surface in stakes races.  However, Scat Daddy’s stakes winners are distance challenged past 1 1/8 miles.  He’s represented by only two stakes winners each at 1 1/8 miles over dirt and synthetics, and one winner on synthetics at 1 3/16 miles.  Turf is another story. Six of his offspring have won stakes at 1 ¼ miles or longer over the lawn. 

 

El Kabeir’s immediate family is loaded with talent.  He is the first foal produced by his unraced dam. She also has an unnamed Tale of the Cat yearling colt. Great Venue is a half sister to three stakes winners and two stakes placed runners. Only one of her five half siblings to race doesn’t own blacktype. Great Venue most accomplished half sibling Too Much Bling (by Rubiano) was twice named Ohio’s Horse of the Year, and as a multiple graded stakes winning sprinter, the gray stallion was victorious in the San Vicente, Carry Back and Bayshore Stakes. Great Venue is also a half sister to the listed/restricted stakes winner Ready For Roses (by More Than Ready) who won the Best of Ohio Endurance Stakes at 1 ¼ miles.  Barnsy (by Langfuhr), Littlebitabling (by Carson City) and stakes placed Got Bling (by Langfuhr) are also half siblings of Great Venue. 

El Kabeir’s second dam Rose Colored Lady (Formal Dinner - Pink Forest, by Green Forest) is a veteran of 48 starts. Her sole stakes win came, ironically, in her debut, in the Ohio Discovery Stakes. The gallant mare competed steadily at the allowance/optional claiming level. El Kabeir’s fifth dam, River Rose (by Riverman) was a stakes winner in France and also a blue hen. She bore 1974 Champion French Juvenile Baiser Vole.  El Kabeir’s is a distant relation to Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo, as both are descended from the mare Barbarossa.  She is Giacomo’s third dam and El Kabeir’s sixth dam.

El Kabeir’s second damsire Formal Dinner (Well Decorated - Fantastic Flyer, by Hoist the Flag) was a stakes winning sprinter/miler. His daughters produced twelve stakes winners, eight of whom are sprinter/milers. Two own victories at 1 ¼ miles, both earned in the Best of Ohio Endurance Stakes.  

El Kabeir is a free-running colt who likes to wing it on the lead. He’s a very efficient mover with moderate leg extension and runs straight, with no wasted movement, such as paddling or excessive knee action. The sizable colt is beautifully balanced, with a strong, deep shoulder and powerful hind end. His legs are well-proportioned with short pasterns and cannons, and he appears to carry good bone structure.

 

El Kabeir made most of the pace before fading to second place in the Nashua (G-2) last time out. The only two times that he didn’t have the lead by the first call, El Kabeir finished out of the money. His pedigree is borderline at best for 1 ¼ miles. He’s at a disadvantage with his front-running style to get classic distances and may find 1 1/8 miles at the top of his range. 

 

The Zayat Stable probably holds the designation as the only modern stable to have their charges finish second in the Triple Crown races in three of the last six years. Pioneerof the Nile, Nehro and Bodemeister all placed second in the Kentucky Derby. In 2012, Bodemeister was also second in the Preakness and in the same year, his stablemate Paynter was second in the Belmont Stakes.  Both Bodemeister and Paynter were confirmed front runners.

 

El Kabeir is a determined colt who is still learning. If he learns to rate behind the speed, his chances to go longer may improve.