Tabasco Cat (USA)
April 15, 1991 – March 6, 2004
Storm Cat (USA) x Barbicue Sauce (USA), by Sauce Boat (USA)
Family 12-d
April 15, 1991 – March 6, 2004
Storm Cat (USA) x Barbicue Sauce (USA), by Sauce Boat (USA)
Family 12-d
Tabasco Cat was well named, as the peppery colt first made national headlines when he inflicted a near-fatal head injury on Jeff Lukas, son of National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and his father’s chief assistant. (Unfortunately, while Jeff Lukas survived, he was left with permanent injuries.) Tabasco Cat made much more positive headlines later in the year as the winner of the 1994 Preakness Stakes (USA-G1) and Belmont Stakes (USA-G1). In the year of Holy Bull, he was not to win a championship, but he was one of the best colts of his crop. He was a moderately successful sire who was exported to Japan.
Race record
18 starts, 8 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, US$2,347,671
1993:
1994:
Assessments
Rated at 123 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1994, 7 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Holy Bull but third overall.
As an individual
A tall, scopy, handsome chestnut standing 16.1½ hands, Tabasco Cat had a fiery disposition. He did not race after his 3-year-old season due to a tendon injury.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Tabasco Cat sired 323 winners (64.5%) and 24 stakes winners (4.8%) from 501 named foals.
Notable progeny
Habibti (USA), Island Sand (USA), Snow Ridge (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Ice Box (USA), Lolo Forever (USA), Love Theway Youare (USA), Murjan (USA), Tell a Kelly (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Tabasco Cat was bred by David Reynolds and Overbrook Farm (William T. Young) on a foal sharing agreement and raced for the partners as a homebred. He was trained by D. Wayne Lukas and was ridden regularly by Pat Day, who piloted the colt to both his Classic scores. Tabasco Cat entered stud at Overbook Farm in 1996. He was exported to Japan in 2000 at a reported price of US$7 million and died at Shizunai Stallion Station of an apparent heart attack while breeding a mare in March 2004.
Pedigree notes
Tabasco Cat is inbred 5x5 to two-time American champion sire and eight-time American champion broodmare sire Princequillo. He is a full brother to Jazz Cat, dam of multiple Japanese stakes winner Lord Majesty (by Brian’s Time).
The dam of Tabasco Cat, Barbicue Sauce, is a listed stakes-placed winner and a full sister to Lady Sauce Boat, second dam of three-time Canadian champion older female One for Rose (in turn the dam of Japanese Group 3 winners Lady Alba Rosa, Quatre Feuilles, and Angel Face). The sisters are out of Grade 3-placed stakes winner Lady Barbizon (by Barbizon), whose full sister Barbilada is the dam of restricted stakes winner Lookintomyeyes (by Irish Ruler). Lady Barbizon is also a full sister to Dotty Brotherton, dam of Grade 2-placed stakes winner Gaylord’s Annie (by Lord Gaylord). In addition, Lady Barbizon is a half sister to Marching Margy (by Go Marching), dam of stakes winners Purple Decade (by Be Somebody) and Lord March (by Lord Gaylord).
The next dam in Tabasco Cat’s tail-female line is the Nigromante mare Cancelada, who was imported from Argentina in 1964. She was produced from stakes-placed Caninha (by Manchester Cup winner Top Coat, an import to Argentina from Ireland) and is out of the Congreve mare Veuve Clicquot. The line traces back to the Argentine matriarch Albilla, a foundation mare at Haras Ojo de Agua.
Books and media
Tabasco Cat is profiled in Chapter 12 of Avalyn Hunter’s American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Last updated: January 8, 2025
Race record
18 starts, 8 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, US$2,347,671
1993:
- Won Fort Springs Stakes (USA, 7FD, Keeneland)
- 3rd Breeders' Cup Juvenile Stakes (USA-G1, 8.5FD, Santa Anita)
1994:
- Won Preakness Stakes (USA-G1, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- Won Belmont Stakes (USA-G1, 12FD, Belmont)
- Won San Rafael Stakes (USA-G2, 8FD, Santa Anita)
- Won El Camino Real Derby (USA-G3, 8.5FD, Bay Meadows)
- Won Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes (USA-L, 9FD, Turfway Park)
- 2nd Breeders' Cup Classic (USA-G1, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Santa Anita Derby (USA-G1, 9FD, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Jim Dandy Stakes (USA-G2, 9FD, Saratoga)
- 3rd Travers Stakes (USA-G1, 10FD, Saratoga)
Assessments
Rated at 123 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1994, 7 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year Holy Bull but third overall.
As an individual
A tall, scopy, handsome chestnut standing 16.1½ hands, Tabasco Cat had a fiery disposition. He did not race after his 3-year-old season due to a tendon injury.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Tabasco Cat sired 323 winners (64.5%) and 24 stakes winners (4.8%) from 501 named foals.
Notable progeny
Habibti (USA), Island Sand (USA), Snow Ridge (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Ice Box (USA), Lolo Forever (USA), Love Theway Youare (USA), Murjan (USA), Tell a Kelly (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Tabasco Cat was bred by David Reynolds and Overbrook Farm (William T. Young) on a foal sharing agreement and raced for the partners as a homebred. He was trained by D. Wayne Lukas and was ridden regularly by Pat Day, who piloted the colt to both his Classic scores. Tabasco Cat entered stud at Overbook Farm in 1996. He was exported to Japan in 2000 at a reported price of US$7 million and died at Shizunai Stallion Station of an apparent heart attack while breeding a mare in March 2004.
Pedigree notes
Tabasco Cat is inbred 5x5 to two-time American champion sire and eight-time American champion broodmare sire Princequillo. He is a full brother to Jazz Cat, dam of multiple Japanese stakes winner Lord Majesty (by Brian’s Time).
The dam of Tabasco Cat, Barbicue Sauce, is a listed stakes-placed winner and a full sister to Lady Sauce Boat, second dam of three-time Canadian champion older female One for Rose (in turn the dam of Japanese Group 3 winners Lady Alba Rosa, Quatre Feuilles, and Angel Face). The sisters are out of Grade 3-placed stakes winner Lady Barbizon (by Barbizon), whose full sister Barbilada is the dam of restricted stakes winner Lookintomyeyes (by Irish Ruler). Lady Barbizon is also a full sister to Dotty Brotherton, dam of Grade 2-placed stakes winner Gaylord’s Annie (by Lord Gaylord). In addition, Lady Barbizon is a half sister to Marching Margy (by Go Marching), dam of stakes winners Purple Decade (by Be Somebody) and Lord March (by Lord Gaylord).
The next dam in Tabasco Cat’s tail-female line is the Nigromante mare Cancelada, who was imported from Argentina in 1964. She was produced from stakes-placed Caninha (by Manchester Cup winner Top Coat, an import to Argentina from Ireland) and is out of the Congreve mare Veuve Clicquot. The line traces back to the Argentine matriarch Albilla, a foundation mare at Haras Ojo de Agua.
Books and media
Tabasco Cat is profiled in Chapter 12 of Avalyn Hunter’s American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- While Tabasco Cat was excitable and strong-willed, he was not vicious. In the incident with Jeff Lukas, the colt had broken away from his handler and was running loose along the shed row. Lukas planted himself in the colt’s path to try and stop him, and Tabasco Cat simply ran him over. Ironically, it had been Jeff Lukas who spoke up against gelding the colt earlier because of his difficult behavior. He was also the person who made the suggestion to run the colt in blinkers, an equipment change that substantially improved the colt’s racing performance.
- Tabasco Cat's name alludes to both his sire and dam as well as to his peppery disposition, as Tabasco sauce is a condiment made from fully ripened tabasco peppers, The best-known version of the sauce is manufactured and distributed by the McIlhenny Company under its TABASCO® trademark.
Last updated: January 8, 2025