Caressing (horse)

Caressing (April 18, 1998 – September 14, 2021) was an American

Background

Caressing was a dark bay or brown mare bred in Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones. She was from the first crop of foals sired by Honour and Glory, a Kentucky-bred stallion whose wins included the Breeders' Futurity Stakes and the Metropolitan Handicap. Honour and Glory was a male-line descendant of the Godolphin Arabian, unlike more than 95% of modern thoroughbreds, who trace their ancestry to the Darley Arabian.^[3] Caressing's dam Lovin Touch won four races and finished second in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes in 1983.^[4]

Caressing was consigned to the Keeneland sale as a yearling in 1999 and bought for $180,000 by the bloodstock agent Mike Ryan on behalf of Carl Pollard. She was sent into training with the Churchill Downs-based veteran trainer David R. Vance who described the "smallish" filly as "a little on the ornery side. She's fairly easy to train, but don't make her do something she doesn't want to do".^[5] Vance had sent out the winners of over a thousand races in a 34-year training career and was based in Barn 48 on the Churchill Downs backstretch. The overwhelming majority of his wins had come in claiming races, but he had enjoyed some top-level success in the 1970s with Honky Star, a racemare who won the Monmouth Oaks and the Cotillion Handicap.^[6]

Racing career

2000: two-year-old season

Caressing made her track debut in a

Caressing was retired from racing to become a broodmare. She produced eight foals, seven of whom have won:[22]

• My Goodness, a dark bay or brown filly, foaled in 2005, sired by Storm Cat, won one minor race from six starts in the United States.^[23] Dam of Danon Kingly.
• Fun Affair, bay filly, 2007, by Distorted Humor, won one minor race in Britain^[24]
• Dove Forest, dark bay or brown filly, 2008, by Forestry, won two minor races in the United States^[25]
• Royal Rhiannon, bay filly, 2009, by Broken Vow, won two minor races in the United States^[26]
• Stormy Caress, bay filly, 2010, by Stormy Atlantic, winless in seven races^[27]
• Gold Hawk, bay gelding, 2011, by Empire Maker, has won seven races and was stakes placed in the United States (active in 2017)^[28]
• Juan and Bina, bay colt, 2012, by Indian Charlie, won once and was stakes placed in the United States^[29]
• West Coast, bay colt, 2014, by Flatter, multiple graded stakes winner, including Grade I Travers Stakes^[30]

Death

Caressing died on September 14, 2021, at Hermitage Farm.^[2]

Pedigree

References