Mystery Storm, El Amante, Cat's Career moved to Texas
Third crop sire Mystery Storm, freshman sire Cat's Career, and multiple Grade 3 winner El Amante have been relocated from Central Kentucky to stand the upcoming season at Weston Ward Thoroughbreds at Straus Medina Ranch near San Antonio, Texas. Mystery Storm and El Amante move to Texas after starting their stud careers at Dixiana Farm near Lexington and then Spendthrift Farm near Lexington. Cat's Career stood his first four seasons at Airdrie Stud near Midway, Kentucky.
Mystery Storm, a nine-year-old son of Storm Bird out of multiple stakes winner Affirmed Classic, by Affirmed, will stand his first season in Texas for $5,000, $2,500 less than his 2001 fee. The sire of multiple graded stakes winner Swept Away, Mystery Storm has 68 individual winners from 96 starters and lifetime progeny earnings of $3,490,942 through Tuesday.
Swept Away, one of four stakes winners sired by Mystery Storm, won the 2000 Azalea Breeders' Cup Stakes (G3) at Calder Race Course and Safely Kept Stakes (G3) at Laurel Park and has earnings of $550,500. Mystery Storm is also the sire of stakes winners Stormin Oedy, Makeup a Mystery, and Lavaca.
Cat's Career has started his stud career with six winners from his first 23 starters, including multiple winner Cat's Delight and $56,371-earner Shining Career. Through November 19, Cat's Career was ranked 20th on the North American freshman sire list and he has $249,169 in progeny earnings through Tuesday.
The eight-year-old son of Mr. Prospector out of the Exceller mare Comical Cat will stand the 2002 season for $3,500, $1,500 less than his 2001 fee.
Cat's Career won five of 12 career starts, including the 1997 Ack Ack Handicap (G3) at Churchill Downs, for $195,265 in earnings. Bred in Kentucky by John and Betty Mabee, Cat's Career is a half brother to stakes winner Al's River Cat.
El Amante, an eight-year-old son of Wild Again out of Forli's Angel, by Broadway Forli, will stand his initial season in Texas for $2,500, $1,000 less than his 2001 fee. Bred by Straus Medina Ranch in Kentucky, El Amante won eight of 24 career starts with eight seconds and four thirds for $655,993 in earnings. He won the 1996 Flamingo Stakes (G3) at Hialeah Park and the '98 Salvator Mile Handicap (G3) at Monmouth Park.
El Amante's first foals arrived in 2001 and he was bred to 34 mares this year.—Tom Law