Captain Ahab to stand stud in WA

Captain Ahab (2, 1:50.4), the first son of former champion pacer Captaintreacherous, the leading sire of two and three-year-olds in North America, imported to Western Australia, will stand this season at Murray Veterinary Services, West Coolup, one hour south of Perth.

He stood at the prestige Pin Oak Lane stud in Pennsylvania for the last two years where his first crop are very impressive foals.

Captain Ahab, foaled in 2016, had 11 starts as a two-year-old (including qualifiers) for nine straight wins. He commenced his racetrack career winning two legs of the Kindergarten Classic at The Meadowlands in 1:51.2 (last 400 in 25.3) and 1:52.4.

He then won a heat and final of the Dream Maker Classic in 1:51.2 and 1:52.8 and a fortnight later the $70,938 Nassagaweya Stake in 1:51.8, both at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Canada.

Captain Ahab twice defeated the 2018 USA 2YO Colt of the Year Captain Crunch at his next two starts, firstly in the $53,982 Champlain Stake in 1:52.6 and then an elimination for the $680,000 Metro Pace, in which he took his lifetime mark of 1:50.4.

He was only sparingly raced thereafter and finished up with a stake tally of $143,309 – an excellent total from a brief career.

Hall of Fame horseman Tony Alagna, who trained Captain Ahab and his sire Captaintreacherous, said: “I see a lot of Captaintreacherous in him. His characteristics, the way he is so easy on himself, the way he let’s you drive him…his work ethic. He reminds me a lot of ‘Captain’ and hopefully he can keep reminding me of ‘Captain'”.

An upstanding bay horse of 16 hands, Captain Ahab is a most interestingly bred horse.

A $100,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase, he is a son of former champion Captaintreacherous 1:47.2 ($3.1 million), one of the greatest of a string of champions left by the champion American sire Somebeachsomewhere (1:46.8). Sons of Somebeachsomewhere are now coming to the forefront as sires in both America and Australia.

On his dam’s side, Captain Ahab belongs to a family which has made a real impact on the American breeding scene. He is out of the Western Ideal mare Acquavella (1:53.6), a sister to the Metro Pace winner and USA 2YO Colt of the Year Artspeak 1:47.4 ($1.6 million), now siring winners in America.

Captain Ahab ranks as a half-sister to the Saratoga Raceway two-year-old track record holder and Reynolds Memorial winner Heart Of Mine 1:53.4 ($204,631).

Captain Ahab, who represents the famed male line of Direct Scooter (grandsire of great sires in Mach Three and Christian Cullen) and coming from the prolific family of Bird Mitchell (ancestress of Southwind Lynx, Ultra Jet and Stand Forever) with strains of Western Ideal, Artsplace, Matt’s Scooter, Jate Lobell and Abercrombie – all champion sires and broodmare sires – has a second-to-none blood inheritance.

He should prove an ideal cross to mares boasting the blood of Cam Fella (Bettor’s Delight, Roll With Joe, Betterthancheddar, Armbro Operative, Presidential Ball, Washington VC, etc), Falcon Seelster (McArdle, Elsu, Ultimate Falcon, Million To One, Rich And Spoilt, etc) and the Western Hanover line.

The duplication of the blood of Artsplace with his sire Captaintreacherous has proven to be a great success with the likes of Tough Tilly, Lightning Dan, Captain Crunch, Captain Barbossa and Capt Midnight.

His service fee is $3,000 including GST with his WA born progeny Double Westbred eligible.

Further information is available at the website westbredpacing.com

by Peter Wharton