Caravel purchased by John Stewart; will be bred to Frankel

Caravel, winner of the 2022 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, has been privately purchased by John Stewart to join his star-studded broodmare band and will soon travel to Europe to be bred to unbeaten champion Frankel for her first mating.

Caravel, who spent the latter part of her career racing for Madaket Stables, Qatar Racing, and Marc Detampel, was sent through the ring as a broodmare prospect at last fall's Keeneland November breeding stock sale, but was a $2.4 million buyback. The connections initially decided to retain the 7-year-old Mizzen Mast mare, and announced in December that they would breed her to Triple Crown winner and breakout young sire Justify in 2024.

However, Stewart recently negotiated a private purchase, which was first reported by the Thoroughbred Daily News.

Caravel retired with a record of 26-15-1-3 and earnings of $1,983,327. Her 13 career stakes victories include two Grade 1s against males - the BC Turf Sprint at Keeneland and last year’s Jaipur Stakes at Belmont Park. She made three appearances at the Breeders' Cup, finishing 10th in last year's Turf Sprint at Santa Anita in her career finale.

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Caravel is the latest accomplished racemare or broodmare to join Stewart’s growing band at his Resolute Farm – a former Shadwell property in Midway, Ky., that he purchased late last year. Stewart emerged onto the scene as a major player at last fall’s weanling and yearling sales – ranking among the leading buyers at Keeneland September – as he began building up stock for a future racing stable.

He then made a splash at the major-market breeding stock sales, announcing his intentions to build up a full-scale breed-to-race operation.

He purchased two-time Eclipse Award champion female sprinter Goodnight Olive for a co-sale-topping $6 million at Fasig-Tipton November a few days after her second win in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. He recently announced that Goodbye Olive has been retired and booked to Not This Time.

Stewart’s other major purchases included $3 million at Fasig for Queen Caroline, dam of champion Forte; $3 million at Fasig for Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca; and $2.9 million, in a private sale at Keeneland for Puca, dam of Kentucky Derby winner Mage and this year’s 3-year-old prospect Dornoch.

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Frankel, who stands at owner-breeder Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Farm in England, retired unbeaten in 14 starts, including 10 Group 1 victories, and was twice Europe’s Horse of the Year. A decade after his first foals were born in 2014, he is the sire of 143 career stakes winners, including last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner and Eclipse champion Inspiral.

Inspiral is one of Frankel’s Cartier Award European champions. He is also the sire of champions in Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, and Bahrain.

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