Tale of the Cat did not make the shuttle from Coolmore Stud’s Kentucky base to Australia this year.  Coolmore explained the horse was not 100% right to travel.

Tale Of The Cat (Storm Cat) was advertised at a $33,000 service fee.  He originally shuttled to New Zealand in 1999 and was rerouted to the Hunter Valley in 2003.

Now 17, Tale of the Cat is just one away from siring his 900th winner and his strike-rate is as good as it gets at 71%.

His colt Overdriven began the current Saratoga meeting with a G2 victory in the Sanford Stakes.  He was being set for the G1 Hopeful Stakes in September but those plans are up in the air after trackwork on Thursday.

“I am a little uncomfortable with him,” trainer Todd Pletcher said.  “He seems fine back at the barn but I’m just not happy with the way he’s moving.”

Overdriven was being touted as the top colt in the country after the Sanford.  He was sold by Taylor Made Agency for $350,000 at the 2010 Keeneland September yearling sale

Tale of the Cat is the damsire of Darley filly It’s Tricky and she will attempt a clean sweep of the Triple Tiara in the G1 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday.

It’s Tricky (3f Mineshaft – Catboat by Tale of the Cat) won the first two legs in the Acorn Stakes and CCA Oaks.  She was bred in Kentucky and was part of the deal when Stonerside Stable sold its operation to Sheikh Mohammed in September 2008.  

The only fillies to complete the treble have been Top Flight (1932), Shuvee (1969), Mom’s Command (1985), Open Mind (1989) and Sky Beauty (1993).