Tough, Blue-Collar Sire Catienus Dies at 27

Catienus , a well-bred, grade 1-placed stakes winner who Ken Ramsey claimed from Sheikh Mohammed and stood at Ramsey Farm, died Oct. 3 due to the infirmities of old age. The 27-year-old son of Storm Cat was buried at the farm near Nicholasville, Ky.

"He was a blue-collar kind of stallion," said Mark Partridge, farm manager for Ramsey Farm. "His horses were strong and very sound, always way up there in terms of starts per runner. Even though he has not bred in six years, we're still getting breeders' money from his horses running in New York."

Bred by Darley, Catienus was out of the graded-placed Mr. Prospector winner Diamond City. The family also produced Preakness Stakes (G1) winner and sire Aloma's Ruler. Darley Stable raced Catienus from 2 to 5, getting four wins without testing him in stakes company. When he was entered in a $41,000 claiming race April 25, 1999, at Aqueduct Racetrack, Ramsey told trainer Richard Schosberg to claim him. The Kentucky owner/breeder claimed Catienus for $50,000 and immediately started running him in stakes. He was runner-up in two grade 2 stakes—the Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap (G2) and Suburban Handicap (G2)—and third in the Whitney Handicap (G1) with Schosberg and runner-up in the 2000 Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap with trainer Charles Simon before he retired with $370,386 in career earnings.

Catienus entered stud at Ramsey Farm for $6,000 in 2001 and split his time between Kentucky and New York. He stood at Highcliff Farm in New York in 2004 and 2006-07 and at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in 2010-15. Issues he developed with a stifle eventually got the best of him, and he was retired to Ramsey Farm in 2016.

Catienus became the leading North American stallion by durability for 2015 as determined by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, which annually publishes a list of top stallions by lifetime starts per starter among the top 200 North American sires by Northern Hemisphere earnings (excluding Japan). In 2015, Catienus had 572 foals of racing age that averaged 23.98 starts per starter. He also ranked second by durability for 2012 (21.80 starts per starter) and for 2014 (23.13).

"These Storm Cats are just tough and that is why his runners were good at the racetrack," said Partridge. "He was a good solid stallion, probably more suited to owner/trainers but suitable to anybody who wanted a sound racehorse that could make a bit of money."

As a stallion, Catienus sired 23 black-type winners among 39 black-type performers. His runners have collectively earned $30,312,879 in prize money and averaged $60,145 per starter, through Oct. 5, 2021. His top performers include multiple grade 1 winner Precious Kitten , 2005 Lane's End Breeders' Futurity (G1) winner Dawn of War, and grade 1-placed multiple stakes winners Cannonball  and Talent Search .

Catienus also made an impact as a broodmare sire. His daughters have produced 16 black-type winners and runners that have averaged $76,894 per starter. His top runner as a broodmare sire is five-time grade 1 winner and 2015 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) winner Stephanie's Kitten , a daughter of Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa's Kitten's Joy  , a Ramsey homebred. Catienus also is the broodmare sire of 2013 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Princess of Sylmar  (Majestic Warrior ), 2015 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (G3) winner and sire Divining Rod   (Tapit  ), and 2020 Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes (G3T) winner Jehozacat  (Tapit).