Tale of the Cat, sire of 3-time champion Gio Ponti, dies at age 30

Coolmore America announced Monday that stallion Tale of the Cat died at the age of 30 because of the infirmities of old age.

On the track, Tale of the Cat won the 1997 King’s Bishop Stakes (G2) with jockey Julie Krone. He also finished second in the 1998 Whitney Handicap (G1), and third in the Vosburgh (G1) in both 1997 and 1998. In his career, during which he was trained by John Forbes, he earned a 9: 5-1-2 record and $360,000 in earnings.

During his stud career, which ran from 1999 until he was pensioned in 2021, Tale of the Cat produced more than 100 stakes winners worldwide. Those include three-time Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti, champion juvenile filly She’s a Tiger and Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Stopchargingmaria. Tale of the Cat was a son of Storm Cat out of the Mr. Prospector mare Yarn. From a deep family, Yarn was a full sister to Preach, the dam of top-class sire Pulpit.

“Tale of the Cat was a brilliant servant,” Coolmore America manager Dermot Ryan said. “He was a wonderful stallion and has turned into a very good broodmare sire, he was a great horse to get a young mare off to a good start. Tale of the Cat has been at Ashford for 25 years, so was very much part of the family, he was a great character who was loved by all and I would like to thank Richard Barry and all of his staff past and present who cared for him over the years both during his stud career and during his retirement.”