Caravel (horse)

Caravel (foaled March 1, 2017) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse. She won 15 races in her career, of which 13 were stakes races. Her top victories were in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint in 2022 and the Grade I Jaipur Stakes in 2023.

Background

Caravel is a gray or roan mare who was home bred in Pennsylvania by Elizabeth Merryman. Caravel was sired by Mizzen Mast who stood at Juddmonte Farms and in 2021 was pensioned. He had sired twelve Grade/Group 1 winners. Her dam Zeezee Zoomzoom was by Congrats but her dam (Zee Zee) was by Exchange Rate. Zee Zee won the Edgewood Stakes and was graded stakes-placed (Lake George Stakes, Regret Stakes), ran in the Breeders' Cup (Monmouth Park in 2008). Zeezee Zoomzoom has produced another winner for Merryman, Tipsy Chatter. In 2023 Zeezee Zoomzoom was awarded the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association Broodmare of the Year.

Elizabeth Merryman consigned Caravel to the 2020 October Wanamaker Sale after her fourth start but did not reach her reserve price of $330,000.

Ownership and training

Elizabeth Merryman trained Caravel and raced Caravel in her first eight starts. In July 2021, Merryman sold 75% interest in Caravel to Bobby Flay. Caravel won the Grade III Caress Stakes for the new partnership and after the win they sent her to trainer H. Graham Motion.

After three starts, Caravel was sold for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale in November 2021 at Keeneland to Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel who transferred her to the barn of Brad H. Cox. Madaket Stables joined the partnership after one event later in April 2022.

Career highlights

Caravel did not compete as a two-year-old. As a three-year-old, she was kept mostly in Pennsylvania, where she broke her maiden, by Merryman. She continued winning three more events, with her only defeat over a mile at Pimlico in the Hilltop Stakes.

As a four-year-old, Caravel opened her campaign in the Listed License Fee Stakes at Belmont Park. After leading, she weakened in the straight, finishing third to the French-bred She's My Type. Caravel then won three straight events, culminating with her first Graded stakes victory in the G3 Caress Stakes at Saratoga. After transferring to trainer H. Graham Motion following her Saratoga effort, she ran third at her first attempt in a Grade I event, the Highlander Stakes at Woodbine in Canada. She had two more starts in 2021, including a run in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar where she finish last in a field of twelve to Golden Pal. After the event, Caravel was auctioned off.

In 2022, she began her five-year-old season with a victory for her new owners on the All-Weather track at Turfway Park in the Queen Stakes. Her other wins were in the Grade III Intercontinental Stakes at Belmont Park and the Grade III Franklin Stakes at Keeneland. The win at Keeneland gave her connection reason to enter her in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, which was held at the same track a few weeks later.

In the Turf Sprint, Caravel started as a 43/1 longshot. The race did not unfold as anticipated, with jockey Tyler Gaffalione expecting to be in a stalking position behind Golden Pal, but the heavy favorite was shuffling around right before the gates sprang and was back in 14th at the break. Caravel quickly found herself in the lead and continued to fend off her opposition, winning by a half-length in 1:01.79.

As a six-year-old, Caravel continued her winning streak, defeating her male counterparts in the GIII Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland and winning her second Grade I event at Belmont Park in the Jaipur Stakes. Originally it was planned to send her to Royal Ascot, but connections decided to stay in the US. Her victory in the event earned a paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with the Jaipur Stakes part of the Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" program.

The 2023 Jaipur was Caravel's final win, as she finished fourth in the Troy Stakes and second in the Franklin Stakes before failing to defend her Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint title, finishing tenth in the 12-horse field. Following the Breeders' Cup, she was sent to the auction ring at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where a final bid of $2.4 million was not enough to reach her reserve price. The following month, Caravel was retired, with Qatar Racing's Fergus Galvin saying that she would be bred in 2024 to Triple Crown champion Justify.

Statistics

''Legend:''

''Notes:''


An (*) asterisk after the odds means Caravel was the post-time favourite.

Pedigree

References

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2017 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in Pennsylvania
Racehorses trained in the United States
Thoroughbred family 2-b
American Grade 1 Stakes winners
Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winners