Cavan (IRE)
1955 – c. 1977
Mossborough (GB) x Willow Ann (GB), by Solario (GB)
Family 2-e
1955 – c. 1977
Mossborough (GB) x Willow Ann (GB), by Solario (GB)
Family 2-e
After winning the Peter Pan Stakes and taking the Belmont over an injured Tim Tam, Cavan seemed prepared to succeed the Calumet colt as the leader of the 1958 American sophomores. Instead, he suffered an injury of his own while winning his next race, the Leonard Richards Stakes, and was forced into retirement after a one-start comeback attempt at 4. Like many another horse with pedigree and performance strongly tilted toward stamina, he was not a great success at stud.
Race record
11 starts, 6 wins, 1 second, 1 third, US$137,507
1958:
Assessments
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1958, 4 pounds below champion Tim Tam but tied with Nadir for second place.
Ranked second among American 3-year-old males of 1958 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A chestnut horse, Cavan was considered a handsome individual in spite of a heavy neck. He had a long, smooth stride and typically came from well off the pace.
As a stallion
According to statistics kept by The Jockey Club, Cavan sired 141 winners (49.8%) and 10 stakes winners (3.5%) from 283 named foals.
Notable progeny
Miss Cavandish (USA)
Connections
Cavan was bred in Ireland by F. F. Tuthill. He was owned by Joseph O'Carroll, who purchased him from the 1956 Doncaster yearling sales for 2,500 guineas, and was trained by Irish-born trainer Thomas J. Barry. He raced in the colors of O' Carroll's Green Dunes Farm. He initially stood at The Stallion Station in Kentucky but was exported to France at age 13. His last known foals were born in 1978.
Pedigree notes
Cavan is inbred 4x3 to 1918 English Triple Crown winner Gainsborough. He is a full brother to English stakes winner Osier and a half brother to 1964 St. Leger Stakes winner Indiana (by Sayajirao). He is also a half brother to multiple stakes-placed Rose Bay Willow (by Fairhaven), dam of stakes winners Rose Petal (by Flocon) and Bonamour (by Bounteous). Rose Bay Willow is also the third dam of Norwegian Horse of the Year and multiple Grade 1 winner Noble Dancer and 1983 Moyglare Stud Stakes (IRE-G1) winner Gala Event.
A daughter of 1925 St. Leger Stakes winner and 1937 English champion sire Solario, Willow Ann never raced due to injury. She is out of the winner Court of Appeal, whose sire Apelle won the 1926 Derby Reale (Italian Derby), 1926 Gran Premio di Milano, and 1928 Coronation Cup before becoming the French champion sire of 1933. Court of Appeal, in turn, was produced from Brown Princess, a minor stakes winner by 1919 English champion 2-year-old male Tetratema.
Books and media
Cavan is profiled in Chapter 8 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Last updated: August 5, 2020
Race record
11 starts, 6 wins, 1 second, 1 third, US$137,507
1958:
- Won Belmont Stakes (USA, 12FD, Belmont)
- Won Leonard Richards Stakes (USA, 9FD, Delaware)
- Won Peter Pan Handicap (USA, 9FD, Belmont)
Assessments
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1958, 4 pounds below champion Tim Tam but tied with Nadir for second place.
Ranked second among American 3-year-old males of 1958 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A chestnut horse, Cavan was considered a handsome individual in spite of a heavy neck. He had a long, smooth stride and typically came from well off the pace.
As a stallion
According to statistics kept by The Jockey Club, Cavan sired 141 winners (49.8%) and 10 stakes winners (3.5%) from 283 named foals.
Notable progeny
Miss Cavandish (USA)
Connections
Cavan was bred in Ireland by F. F. Tuthill. He was owned by Joseph O'Carroll, who purchased him from the 1956 Doncaster yearling sales for 2,500 guineas, and was trained by Irish-born trainer Thomas J. Barry. He raced in the colors of O' Carroll's Green Dunes Farm. He initially stood at The Stallion Station in Kentucky but was exported to France at age 13. His last known foals were born in 1978.
Pedigree notes
Cavan is inbred 4x3 to 1918 English Triple Crown winner Gainsborough. He is a full brother to English stakes winner Osier and a half brother to 1964 St. Leger Stakes winner Indiana (by Sayajirao). He is also a half brother to multiple stakes-placed Rose Bay Willow (by Fairhaven), dam of stakes winners Rose Petal (by Flocon) and Bonamour (by Bounteous). Rose Bay Willow is also the third dam of Norwegian Horse of the Year and multiple Grade 1 winner Noble Dancer and 1983 Moyglare Stud Stakes (IRE-G1) winner Gala Event.
A daughter of 1925 St. Leger Stakes winner and 1937 English champion sire Solario, Willow Ann never raced due to injury. She is out of the winner Court of Appeal, whose sire Apelle won the 1926 Derby Reale (Italian Derby), 1926 Gran Premio di Milano, and 1928 Coronation Cup before becoming the French champion sire of 1933. Court of Appeal, in turn, was produced from Brown Princess, a minor stakes winner by 1919 English champion 2-year-old male Tetratema.
Books and media
Cavan is profiled in Chapter 8 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Cavan was named after the town of Cavan in County Cavan, Ireland. The name was the second borne by the colt, who had originally been named “Galway” after the Irish harbor city of that name.
- Cavan nearly took himself out of the Belmont Stakes during the pre-race warmup, when he bolted to the outside. Jockey Pete Anderson managed to pull him up only inches away from going through the outer rail.
- Cavan was the sixth foreign-bred horse to win the Belmont Stakes and the first Irish-bred to do so. His predecessors were Saxon (1874), Bowling Brook (1898), Hourless (1917), Johren (1918) and Gallant Man (1957), all foaled in England.
- Willow Ann, the dam of Cavan, was the first mare to produce both the winner of an American Triple Crown race and the winner of an English Triple Crown race since Maggie B. B. accomplished the feat by producing 1879 Preakness Stakes winner Harold and 1880 Derby Stakes and St. Leger Stakes winner Iroquois. Maggie B. B. later added 1884 Belmont Stakes winner Panique for good measure.
Last updated: August 5, 2020