Silken Cat, dam of Speightstown, dies at 23

Silken Cat, a Canadian champion and the dam of champion sprinter and top sire Speightstown, died Tuesday in her paddock at Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, Ky. The farm confirmed the mare’s death Friday on its Facebook page.

The 23-year-old daughter of Storm Cat was bred in Quebec by Ferme Du Bois-Vert and was purchased by Sam-Son Farm for $95,000 at the 1994 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale.

She went undefeated in three starts as a juvenile for Sam-Son Farm and trainer Mark Frostad, winning her debut at Woodbine by eight lengths, an allowance by 14 lengths, and the Mazarine Stakes by 3 1/4 lengths. The campaign earned her Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly honors in 1995.

Silken Cat was purchased privately by Marie Jones between her juvenile and sophomore campaigns and raced once for her new owner and trainer Neil Drysdale, finishing third in a Hollywood Park allowance. She retired with three wins in four starts for $102,120.

The mare was sent to Gone West for her first mating and produced Speightstown, the champion sprinter of 2004, a $2.2 million yearling and seven-figure earner, and one of North America’s top sires. He stands at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., for an advertised fee of $100,000.

Silken Cat produced 11 foals overall, with two winners from six foals to race. Speightstown was her only stakes winner, but she produced four additional seven-figure auction horses and the stallions Tigerline and Fiber Sonde. Her final foal, a Tiznow colt, sold for $300,000 at this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. March sale of 2-year-olds in training.