Cape Blanco (foaled 20 April 2007 in Ireland) is an Irish

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

who won five

Group One Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...

/ Grade I races from 2009 to 2011. He also won twice at Group 2 level and once at Group 3 level between 2009 and 2010. He was the Irish Three-Year-Old Colt of the Year in 2010 and also the American Champion Male Turf Horse for the 2011 season.

Background

Cape Blanco was sired by champion sire

Galileo Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642), commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei ( , , ) or mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a poly ...

out of the Presidium mare Laurel Delight. As a foal of Laurel Delight he is a half-brother to the Kelso Stakes winner Mr O'Brien. Cape Blanco was trained throughout his racing career by Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle Stables near Cashel in

County Tipperary County Tipperary () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary (tow ...

for John Magnier and his

Coolmore Stud Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is the headquarters of one of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champio ...

associates.

Racing career

He is the winner of the 2010

Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a dista ...

and

Irish Champion Stakes The Irish Champion Stakes ( Irish: Curadh-Dhuais na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2 ...

as well as being placed second in the 2010

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot ...

behind

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. In 2011, he won the Grade 1

Man o' War Stakes The Man o' War Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four-years-old and older. It is run over a distance of one and three-eighth miles on grass, turf and is scheduled annually for early May at Be ...

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...

Arlington Million The Arlington Million is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for thoroughbred horses aged three years and upward on turf. It was originally raced at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois over a distance of miles. The Arling ...

Arlington Park Arlington Park (formerly known as Arlington International Racecourse) is a former horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Once called the ''Arlington Park Jockey Club'', it was located adjacent to the Illinois Rou ...

and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes at

, New York, USA. In the last-named

Grade 1 First grade (also 1st Grade or Grade 1) is the first year of formal or compulsory education. It is the first year of elementary school, and the first school year after kindergarten. Children in first grade are usually 6–7 years old. Examples ...

classic race, he sustained a knee fracture and was retired to stud after the race.

Assessment

In the 2010

World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings The Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (LWBRR), known as World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR) before 2012, are horseracing's equivalent to World Rankings by other major sporting organizations such as ATP Tennis Rankings, World Golf R ...

Cape Blanco was rated the eighth best horse in the world on a mark of 126. In addition, Cape Blanco was given a

Timeform Timeform is a sports data and content provider located in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1948, it provides systematic information on form to punters and others involved in the horse racing industry. The company was purchased by th ...

rating of 130 for top middle-distance performers in 2010 alongside his stablemate Fame and Glory. Finally for his final racing year in 2011, Cape Blanco was given a

rating of 128 with a global ranking at number 18.

Stud career

According to a news release by

, Cape Blanco will stand for them at the Ashford Stud in Kentucky for the 2012 breeding season. He moved to Japan in 2015 and has also been shuttled to stand in New Zealand at

Cambridge Stud Cambridge Stud is a Thoroughbred stud farm established in 1976 at Cambridge, New Zealand by Sir Patrick Hogan. Stud sires It has had a number of top quality stallions including: * Sir Tristram: sire of 45 Group 1 winners and inducted into the N ...

. His foals have included Californiagoldrush (

Sands Point Stakes The Sands Point Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over a distance of miles on the turf track scheduled annually in October at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event currently offers a purse of $2 ...

) and Lance of Puraana ( Mainichi Hai).

References

{{reflist 2007 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Ireland Racehorses trained in Ireland Eclipse Award winners Irish Classic Race winners Thoroughbred family 1-s