Storm Cat Back in Service -- For $20,000 -- Yes, Really

Eight months ago when I wrote about the retirement of both Sadler's Wells and Storm Cat (Northern Dancer Pensioned), I thought that was the end of the story.

Nope.

Storm Cat is back in service -- this time as a Quarter Horse stallion.  Through the wonders of artificial insemination -- it's allowed by the American Quarter Horse Association but forbidden by The Jockey Club -- Storm Cat will now attempt to influence the gene pool of the racing Quarter Horse.

In fact, the AQHA reports that "leading Thoroughbred sire Storm Cat has [already] been bred by artificial insemination to Your First Moon" (pedigree), the Quarter Horse champion 2-year-old racehorse in 2001.

Gotta admit, I don't know much about Quarter Horse pedigrees, but a quick look at Your First Moon shows a 2 X 3 dose of the Three Bars grandson Dash for Cash -- names I think everyone's heard.  In fact, Dash for Cash's broodmare sire is the Thoroughbred To Market, and his dam descends from the immediate 1-r female family of Secretariat). And Your First Moon's dam's great-grandsire is the Nasrullah stud Grey Sovereign.  Back on familiar ground here!

You could excuse observers for mistaking some of Storm Cat's Thoroughbred progeny as Quarter Horses in years gone by -- so many of his foals had the squat, muscular build of the QH breed -- that it doesn't seem so out of place for the old guy to take on this new role.

Never figured you'd see a Storm Cat season offered at $20,000, did you?