Caravaggio’s Tenebrism Impresses in G1 Cheveley Park

Leading freshman sire Caravaggio saw one of his runners strike at the highest level on Saturday at Newmarket when the purple-blooded Tenebrism (2f Caravaggio x Immortal Verse, by Pivotal) won the Group I Cheveley Park Stakes.

The six furlong turf race saw the Aidan O’Brien trainee race last early before moving up slightly in the field. Racing along the stand’s side rail, Tenebrism had work to do as they entered the final half of the race but she hadn’t yet shown her hand.

Ryan Moore got to work and Tenebrism clicked into her top gear with just over a furlong to run to show a huge turn of foot.

It looked like Starspangledbanner’s Flotus would beat her to the line but Tenebrism had something else planned and went flying past her close to the line. Tenebrism held a length advantage at the end of the race with the third placed runner three lengths behind the pair.

“She was just literally ready to come racing and I had a knot in my stomach whether it was fair to be running her or not,” trainer Aidan O’Brien told Thoroughbred Daily News. “But there is only one Cheveley Park and you don't get horses with the speed and the turn of foot she has very often .... Her dad had a terribly good turn of speed as well and that's what she has. I asked Ryan [Moore] to just get her to relax and find herself and see what's going to happen. She did the very same thing in her maiden and it's a rare thing when you see them able to quicken like that.”

It was the second win in two starts for Tenebrism, who is owned by Westerberg and co-breeders Coolmore and Merribelle Stables.

While O’Brien is already eying next year’s Group I 1000 Guineas over a mile as a long-term goal, in the more immediate future she may be making a trip to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup.

“The lads will decide if they want to go to the Breeders' Cup and it will depend how she comes out of today.,” he said. “To go travelling would be a great experience for next year and I'd say, if she comes out of it well and the lads want to do it, we'd be delighted to go. It's definitely something we'd have to think about.”

Tenebrism is the first stakes winner out of the champion Immortal Verse, who is the dam of three winners from four to race. Out of stakes winner Side of Paradise, Immortal Verse is a half-sister to the dam of stakes winner and Group I-placed Roseman and two other stakes performers.

Tenebrism made her dam a fifth generation Group I producer with the streak starting when Scollata produced dual classic winner Lynchris. Side of Paradise’s dam Mill Princess is also the dam of three-time Group I winner Last Tycoon.

Mill Princess is the matriarch of a line that includes Grade I winners Sense of Style, Valentine Waltz, The United States, Hermosa, Hydrangea, and others.

Immortal Verse foaled Tenebrism in Kentucky and visited Triple Crown winner Justify in his first year at stud to foal a filly last year.

In addition to leading all freshmen with 19 winners, Caravaggio also leads all North American sires by both juvenile winners and juvenile stakes performers with six in 2021. He is also one of only three North American stallions to sire a juvenile Grade I winner in 2021.