Report: Turf standout Caravel is retired, will be bred to Justify

Caravel, a two-time Grade 1 winner who was victorious at 42-1 last year in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, has been retired and will be bred to 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify next spring, according to a published report Friday.

Sheikh Hamad’s Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel and Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables made plans to send Caravel to Hunter Valley Farm in Versailles, Ky., this winter, Sam Cavalieri wrote in Lancaster Farming in Ephrata, Pa. The news was confirmed by breeder Elizabeth Merryman.

“The ownership group has very much kept me in the loop,” Merryman told Lancaster Farming.

After finishing 10th as the 9-2 third choice at Santa Anita last month in defense of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, 6-year-old Caravel was sent to the Keeneland November breeding-stock sale. Bidding reached $2.4 million, but her reserve was not attained, so she stayed in the hands of the owners who decided to make her a broodmare.

Trained in her prime by Brad Cox, the daughter of Mizzen Mast won as the 5-2 favorite in the Jaipur (G1) six months ago on the Belmont Stakes undercard, running her eight-month winning streak to five races. Then she was a beaten favorite twice, finishing fourth in the Troy (G3) at Saratoga and second in the Franklin (G2) at Keeneland before making her final start in the Breeders’ Cup.

Not only did Merryman breed Caravel in Pennsylvania, but in 2020 and 2021 she did the training through seven wins in the filly’s first nine starts. By the time Caravel won the 2021 Caress (G3) in her first graded-stakes try, Bobby Flay bought a controlling share of her.

Graham Motion took over as Caravel’s trainer in the summer of 2021. Three off-the-board finishes including a last-place result in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar led to the then 4-year-old filly being sold for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall mixed sale.

Sheikh Hamad and Detampel moved Caravel to Cox, who campaigned her these past two years to her greatest success. Kumin bought in one race into the partnership that resulted in eight stakes victories, including five at the graded level.

Caravel finished her racing career with a record of 26: 15-1-3 and earnings of $1,983,327 according to Equibase.