Caravaggio has first winner, in Ireland

Two-time Royal Ascot winner Caravaggio became the first Northern Hemisphere freshman sire of 2021 to record a winner, as his daughter Tenebrism won on debut at Naas in Ireland on Sunday.

Tenebrism, who is trained by Aidan O'Brien for Coolmore, Westerberg, and Merriebelle Stables, won by 3 3/4 lengths going five furlongs on the turf. The filly is out of the British champion and multiple Group 1 winner Immortal Verse.

Caravaggio, by Scat Daddy, won 7 of 10 starts for the Coolmore group in Europe. As a juvenile, he won the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and later won the Group 1 Phoenix in Ireland. He was again a multiple group stakes winner at 3, highlighted by another Royal Ascot victory in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup.

The young stallion entered stud at Coolmore in Ireland in 2018, but, after a strong reception for his first yearlings last season, he moved to the international outfit's Ashford Stud in Kentucky for this season. Caravaggio was represented by six yearlings that sold for an average price of $212,833 at last year's Keeneland September sale, North America’s largest yearling marketplace, ranking third by average among first-crop sires and trailing only Eclipse Award champions Gun Runner and Arrogate.