Caerleon (USA)
March 27, 1980 – February 2, 1998
Nijinsky II (CAN) x Foreseer (USA), by Round Table (USA)
Family 1-x
March 27, 1980 – February 2, 1998
Nijinsky II (CAN) x Foreseer (USA), by Round Table (USA)
Family 1-x
One of the best European-based colts of his generation, Caerleon was a good 2-year-old but was better at 3, earning a Classic win in France and defeating his elders in the 1983 Benson & Hedges Gold Cup (ENG-G1), albeit against a subpar field. He proved a very good sire in Europe and was among several sire sons whose careers suggest that Nijinsky II was underrated as a sire of sires.
Race record
8 starts, 4 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds, US$345,550 (converted from English, French and Irish earnings)
1982:
1983:
Honors
French champion 3-year-old male (1983)
Assessments
Rated second on the Free Handicap for Irish-based juveniles of 1982, 5 pounds below his stablemate Danzatore.
Earned a Timeform rating of 132 pounds as a 3-year-old.
As an individual
An attractive, medium-sized, rather compact bay with a deep girth, Caerleon was game and determined on the race course. He won on soft going but did not care for it.
As a stallion
Caerleon was not a prepotent sire, his progeny coming in all shapes and sizes, but his runners generally stayed well. According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Caerleon sired 613 winners (59.8%) and 120 stakes winners (11.7%) from 1025 named foals, Thoroughbred Times credited Caerleon with 128 stakes winners (12.5%).
Sire rankings
Per Arion Pedigrees (www.arion.co.nz):
Per The Blood-Horse:
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
Notable progeny
Atoll (IRE), Caerlina (IRE), Caerwent (IRE), Cape Verdi (IRE), Generous (IRE), Grape Tree Road (GB), In a Tiff (IRE), Kostroma (IRE), Lady Carla (GB), Marienbard (IRE), Moonax (IRE), Mukhalif (IRE), Only Royale (IRE), Preseli (IRE), Shake the Yoke (GB), Shinko Lovely (IRE), Tenby (GB), Volga (IRE), Warrsan (IRE), Welsh Guide (IRE), Zenno El Cid (IRE)
Notable progeny of daughters
Allegretto (IRE), Twice Over (GB)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Caerleon was bred by Claiborne Farm. He was owned by Robert Sangster, who purchased him for US$800,000 from the 1981 Keeneland July yearling sale. Caerleon was trained by Vincent O'Brien. The colt entered stud in 1984 at Coolmore Stud's Irish headquarters in County Tipperary.
Pedigree notes
Caerleon is outcrossed through five generations. He is a full brother to 1984 Secretariat Stakes (USA-G1) winner Vision; to 1988 Prix Maurice de Nieuil (FR-G2) winner Merce Cunningham; to stakes-placed Far, dam of multiple Grade 2 winner Yonder (by Seattle Slew) and listed stakes winner Ago (by Danzig); and to Video, dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Scan (by Mr. Prospector) and second dam of Grade/Group 3 winners The Leopard and Just Pretending. Caerleon is also a half brother to multiple stakes winner Palmistry (by Forli), second dam of French Group 3 winner Bonaire and third dam of multiple Grade/Group 2 winner Lundy's Liability, and to Larceny (by Private Account), third dam of 2009 Grande Prêmio Margarida Polak Lara (BRZ-G1) winner Talenta.
Caerleon's dam Foreseer is a stakes-placed full sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Royal Glint. She is a half sister to Glisk (by Buckpasser), dam of Grade 2 winner Glow (by Northern Dancer) and listed stakes winner Lustra (by Danzig) and third dam of South African Group 2 winner Gleaming Sky, and to Pucheca (by Tom Rolfe), dam of Norwegian Group 2 winner Trendy Gent (by Nijinsky II) and multiple stakes winner Buckbean (by Buckfinder) and second dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Scuffleburg. Foreseer is also a half sister to Idle Gleam (by Pronto), second dam of Grade 3 winner Middlefork Rapids and third dam of Grade 3 winner Michigan Bluff.
Foreseer's dam Regal Gleam (by Hail to Reason) is a half sister to Miz Seabird (by Sea-Bird), dam of stakes winners Graustark Lad (by Graustark) and Ton Wa Ka Wa Ma Ni (by Hatchet Man). Regal Gleam, in turn, is out of Miz Carol (by Stymie), a half sister to 1967 American champion handicap female Straight Deal (by Hail to Reason). Straight Deal is the dam of 1977 Santa Barbara Handicap (USA-G1) winner Desiree (by Raise a Native; dam of Grade 1 winner Adored, by Seattle Slew), multiple stakes winner Reminiscing (by Never Bend; dam of three stakes winners including Grade 2 winner Persevered, by Affirmed), and stakes winner Belonging (by Exclusive Native; dam of multiple Grade 3 winner and good sire Belong to Me, by Danzig). Straight Deal also produced So Endearing (by Raise a Native), dam of 1986 Del Mar Futurity (USA-G1) winner Qualify (by Danzig) and second dam of Grade 3 winner Notoriety, and Affirmatively (by Affirmed), dam of stakes winner Mais Oui (by Lyphard) and second dam of seven stakes winners including 2010 Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (USA-G1) winner Dangerous Midge and 2001 Jim Dandy Stakes (USA-G1) winner Scorpion.
Books and media
Caerleon is one of 75 stallions profiled in Tony Morris' Thoroughbred Stallions (1990, The Crowood Press).
Fun facts
Last updated: July 11, 2021
Race record
8 starts, 4 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds, US$345,550 (converted from English, French and Irish earnings)
1982:
- Won Ballsbridge-Tattersalls Anglesey Stakes (IRE-G3, 6f+63yT, The Curragh)
- Won Tyros Stakes (IRE, 7FT, The Curragh)
1983:
- Won Prix du Jockey Club (FR-G1, 2400mT, Chantilly)
- Won Benson & Hedges Gold Cup (ENG-G1, about 10.5FT, York)
- 2nd Irish Sweeps Derby (IRE-G1, 12FT, The Curragh)
Honors
French champion 3-year-old male (1983)
Assessments
Rated second on the Free Handicap for Irish-based juveniles of 1982, 5 pounds below his stablemate Danzatore.
Earned a Timeform rating of 132 pounds as a 3-year-old.
As an individual
An attractive, medium-sized, rather compact bay with a deep girth, Caerleon was game and determined on the race course. He won on soft going but did not care for it.
As a stallion
Caerleon was not a prepotent sire, his progeny coming in all shapes and sizes, but his runners generally stayed well. According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Caerleon sired 613 winners (59.8%) and 120 stakes winners (11.7%) from 1025 named foals, Thoroughbred Times credited Caerleon with 128 stakes winners (12.5%).
Sire rankings
Per Arion Pedigrees (www.arion.co.nz):
- 2nd on the English broodmare sire list in 2010; 6th in 2009; 10th in 2008.
- 6th on the French broodmare sire list in 2010.
- 6th on the Irish broodmare sire list in 2010.
- 7th on the Italian broodmare sire list in 2009.
Per The Blood-Horse:
- 8th on the American broodmare sire list in 2007; 9th in 2010.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- Led the combined English/Irish general sire list in 1988 and 1991; 4th in 1994 and 1996; 5th in 1989; 6th in 1993 and 2001; 7th in 1990 and 1995; 10th in 1999.
- 5th on the combined English/Irish broodmare sire list in 2005; 6th in 2001; 8th in 1999; 9th in 2002; 10th in 2000.
- 5th on the French general sire list in 2002.
- 7th on the French broodmare sire list in 2005.
- Led the Italian general sire list in 1989; 2nd in 1988 and 1991.
- 6th on the Japanese broodmare sire list in 2004; 7th in 2003; 10th in 2002.
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
- Led the combined English/Irish general sire list in 1988 and 1991.
- Led the Irish general sire list in 1988 and 1989.
Notable progeny
Atoll (IRE), Caerlina (IRE), Caerwent (IRE), Cape Verdi (IRE), Generous (IRE), Grape Tree Road (GB), In a Tiff (IRE), Kostroma (IRE), Lady Carla (GB), Marienbard (IRE), Moonax (IRE), Mukhalif (IRE), Only Royale (IRE), Preseli (IRE), Shake the Yoke (GB), Shinko Lovely (IRE), Tenby (GB), Volga (IRE), Warrsan (IRE), Welsh Guide (IRE), Zenno El Cid (IRE)
Notable progeny of daughters
Allegretto (IRE), Twice Over (GB)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Caerleon was bred by Claiborne Farm. He was owned by Robert Sangster, who purchased him for US$800,000 from the 1981 Keeneland July yearling sale. Caerleon was trained by Vincent O'Brien. The colt entered stud in 1984 at Coolmore Stud's Irish headquarters in County Tipperary.
Pedigree notes
Caerleon is outcrossed through five generations. He is a full brother to 1984 Secretariat Stakes (USA-G1) winner Vision; to 1988 Prix Maurice de Nieuil (FR-G2) winner Merce Cunningham; to stakes-placed Far, dam of multiple Grade 2 winner Yonder (by Seattle Slew) and listed stakes winner Ago (by Danzig); and to Video, dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Scan (by Mr. Prospector) and second dam of Grade/Group 3 winners The Leopard and Just Pretending. Caerleon is also a half brother to multiple stakes winner Palmistry (by Forli), second dam of French Group 3 winner Bonaire and third dam of multiple Grade/Group 2 winner Lundy's Liability, and to Larceny (by Private Account), third dam of 2009 Grande Prêmio Margarida Polak Lara (BRZ-G1) winner Talenta.
Caerleon's dam Foreseer is a stakes-placed full sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Royal Glint. She is a half sister to Glisk (by Buckpasser), dam of Grade 2 winner Glow (by Northern Dancer) and listed stakes winner Lustra (by Danzig) and third dam of South African Group 2 winner Gleaming Sky, and to Pucheca (by Tom Rolfe), dam of Norwegian Group 2 winner Trendy Gent (by Nijinsky II) and multiple stakes winner Buckbean (by Buckfinder) and second dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Scuffleburg. Foreseer is also a half sister to Idle Gleam (by Pronto), second dam of Grade 3 winner Middlefork Rapids and third dam of Grade 3 winner Michigan Bluff.
Foreseer's dam Regal Gleam (by Hail to Reason) is a half sister to Miz Seabird (by Sea-Bird), dam of stakes winners Graustark Lad (by Graustark) and Ton Wa Ka Wa Ma Ni (by Hatchet Man). Regal Gleam, in turn, is out of Miz Carol (by Stymie), a half sister to 1967 American champion handicap female Straight Deal (by Hail to Reason). Straight Deal is the dam of 1977 Santa Barbara Handicap (USA-G1) winner Desiree (by Raise a Native; dam of Grade 1 winner Adored, by Seattle Slew), multiple stakes winner Reminiscing (by Never Bend; dam of three stakes winners including Grade 2 winner Persevered, by Affirmed), and stakes winner Belonging (by Exclusive Native; dam of multiple Grade 3 winner and good sire Belong to Me, by Danzig). Straight Deal also produced So Endearing (by Raise a Native), dam of 1986 Del Mar Futurity (USA-G1) winner Qualify (by Danzig) and second dam of Grade 3 winner Notoriety, and Affirmatively (by Affirmed), dam of stakes winner Mais Oui (by Lyphard) and second dam of seven stakes winners including 2010 Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Turf (USA-G1) winner Dangerous Midge and 2001 Jim Dandy Stakes (USA-G1) winner Scorpion.
Books and media
Caerleon is one of 75 stallions profiled in Tony Morris' Thoroughbred Stallions (1990, The Crowood Press).
Fun facts
- Caerleon is named for a village and archaeological site in Wales. Its hilltop has been fortified since at least Roman times and in legend was a stronghold of King Arthur and possibly his capital if one accepts the identification of Caerleon with Camelot.
- Caerleon met with one of the more unusual mishaps to befall a racehorse in the 1983 Rogers Gold Cup Ballymoss Stakes (IRE-G2). After he finished eighth of 10 runners, post-race examination revealed that a clod of mud had somehow gotten stuck in one nostril during the running, cutting off his wind.
Last updated: July 11, 2021