Giant's Causeway's small final crop showing some promise

The late champion and leading sire Giant’s Causeway had just three foals in his final crop. Two were in action on Saturday’s card at Keeneland, and the stallion has at least one additional stakes horse to burnish his legacy.

Giant’s Causeway, by the great Storm Cat, was the 2000 European Horse of the Year and went on to be a three-time North American leading sire for the international Coolmore group. He died at age 21 in April 2018 at the group’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky, following an illness.

At the time of his death midway through the breeding season, Giant’s Causeway had covered nine mares, according to The Jockey Club’s Report of Mares Bred. Three produced live foals, all colts, in 2019. Almusafa, a Haafhd mare, was the first to deliver, producing Monaadah on Feb. 18. The other two members of the trio were both born Feb. 22, as Game for More, by More Than Ready, delivered Giant Game, and Private World, by Thunder Gulch, delivered Classic Causeway.

Monaadah, a homebred for Shadwell, was sent to the U.A.E. as a yearling and has not yet started, leaving two Giant’s Causeway colts in the United States. Classic Causeway, who races for breeders Kentucky West Racing and Clarke M. Cooper, was the first to make an impression, winning his debut Sept. 4 at Saratoga. That effort made the colt the favorite for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity on Oct. 9 at Keeneland. In his first try around two turns, he was hustled away from the outside post in a large field to make the early lead and eventually finished third.

“He made the lead and relaxed very well,” jockey Jose Ortiz said. “When we got to the second turn, he got a little lost on me. I mean, with his first time going two turns he was kind of wondering what was going on.”

Trainer Brian Lynch didn’t rule out moving on to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile with the inexperienced colt.

“We were committed from the outside post – we had to get across,” Lynch said. “First quarter and half were a little bit quick for a second-time starter going two turns, and it taxed him in the end. We learned a little more about him, so we will regroup and go from there. We’ll let the dust settle and see how he comes back, but I wouldn’t think [the Breeders’ Cup] is off the table.”

Meanwhile, Giant Game also has emerged as a promising colt. He debuted on Sept. 18 at Churchill Downs for West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stables, finishing third. He re-emerged in the nightcap on Saturday at Keeneland, two races after the Breeders’ Futurity. Going 1 1/16 miles, he won by three lengths.