Top stallion Scat Daddy dies suddenly at Ashford

Scat Daddy, a multiple Grade 1 winner on dirt and successful Coolmore stallion whose leading offspring have enjoyed great success on the turf tracks of North and South America, passed away suddenly Monday morning at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Kentucky.

"Scat Daddy was in the best of health but totally unexpectedly he dropped dead when walking out of his paddock," said Ashford manager Dermot Ryan via a Coolmore Stud tweet. "Everyone here at Ashford is very upset as he was a smashing horse with a great career ahead of him."

An 11-year-old son of 2001 juvenile champion Johannesburg, Scat Daddy won five of nine starts, earning $1,334,300. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Scat Daddy won the Champagne (G1) and Sanford (G2) at two and also placed in the Hopeful (G1). At three, Scat Daddy finished third in the Holy Bull (G3) before taking the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Florida Derby (G1).

Scat Daddy was unplaced twice in his career, both times at Churchill Downs. A distant fourth behind Street Sense in the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), he was up the track against that rival again in the Kentucky Derby (G1) the following spring, finishing 18th out of a field of 20. The Derby was his final start.

Scat Daddy, whose 2016 stud fee would have been $100,000, prospered at Ashford and as a shuttle stallion in Chile. His most decorated offspring in the Northern Hemisphere has been No Nay Never, a French juvenile highweight for Wesley Ward after a victory in the 2013 Prix Morny (G1). No Nay Never went on to capture the Woodford (G3) at Keeneland and finish second in Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita in 2014.

Scat Daddy's current crop of juvenile fillies have achieved great success in the U.S. and Europe this season. These include Frizette (G1) heroine Nickname, Matron (G2) vixen Pretty N Cool, Jessamine (G3) winner Harmonize, and the massive, freakishly fast Acapulco, who took the Queen Mary (G2) at Royal Ascot and finished second to older males in the Nunthorpe (G1) at York for Ward.

Other notables among Scat Daddy's North American runners are multiple Grade 1 winner Lady of Shamrock; Grade 2 winners El Kabeir, Handsome Mike, Frac Daddy, Daddy Long Legs, and Azar; and multiple Grade 3 scorer Daddy Nose Best.

As noted, Scat Daddy also enjoyed tremendous in South America. Dacita, a juvenile champion in Chile, was imported to North America last season and captured the Ballston Spa (G2) at Saratoga over Tepin.