John The Baptist Ninth Winner for Caravaggio

Caravaggio struck again on Saturday when John The Baptist (2g Caravaggio x Scream Blue Murder, by Oratorio) won on debut at the Curragh.

The Fozzy Stack-trained gelding was making his debut over seven furlongs and broke in the middle of the pack before racing keenly in fourth. Mark Enright was able to find the juvenile cover and he settled once the field got into a rhythm a few furlongs in.

John The Baptist still had multiple lengths to make up as they entered the final two furlongs but he started to pick up from there. Sneaking up the rail in the final furlong, John The Baptist got in front just in time with his nose flashing across the line just in front of Australia’s Shark Bay.

Co-bred by Cayton Park Stud and Coolmore, John The Baptist is raced in partnership by Cayton Park and Mrs. John Magnier.

The juvenile is a half-brother to Gleneagles’ stakes winner and Group II-placed Too Soon To Panic, Galileo’s Group III-placed Ahandfulofsummers and that one’s stakes-placed full brother Wargrave. They are out of the Grade III winning Scream Blue Murder, who is a half-sister to Rock of Gibraltar’s multiple Group II winner and stakes producer Gibraltar Blue.

Scream Blue Murder also has a No Nay Never yearling colt named Run Ran Run.

It was a successful day on the Curragh for Caravaggio, who also saw son Andreas Vesalius finish second in the Group III Anglesey Stakes two races later.

Caravaggio’s nine winners is the most of any North American freshman sire and he leads all North American freshmen with three stakes performers and a stakes winner.