Mendelssohn is a half-brother to 4x Eclipse Award winner Beholder and leading sire Into Mischief. They all share the dam Leslie’s Lady, a stakes winning mare by Tricky Creek.
Mendelssohn was from the final crop of legendary sire Scat Daddy. Triple Crown winner Justify was from the same Scat Daddy crop.
He sold for $3 million at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, making him the highest priced yearling of 2016 in North America. There was a fierce bidding war between Spendthrift Farm, home of Beholder and Into Mischief, and Coolmore America, who had owned Scat Daddy. Coolmore America would ultimately win the auction.
Mendelssohn was known for his vocal antics. He would whinny and scream all the way to and from the racetrack, during both his morning workouts and afternoon races.
He started his career racing in Ireland and England before coming to the United States for the Breeders’ Cup. He then returned to Ireland and later ran in Dubai before coming home to the United States for good.
The 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar served as Mendelssohn’s first and only Grade 1 victory.
Mendelssohn won the UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse by 18 ½ lengths in preparation for the 2018 Kentucky Derby.
Much like his sire Scat Daddy, Mendelssohn was the bettor’s third-choice in the Kentucky Derby.
Though Mendelssohn finished last in the Kentucky Derby, he was able to hit the board in the Dwyer Stakes (G3), Travers Stakes (G1), and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) later on in his three-year old season.
Mendelssohn stands stud at Coolmore America with a fee of $35,000. His first foal, a filly out of Lilacs and Lilies, was born on January 14th, 2020.
[Video: Watch Mendelssohn parade at Coolmore Australia]
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He's actually from Scat Daddy's second to last crop, not his last crop.