Coastal (April 6, 1976 - September 29, 2005), foaled at
Claiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...
in
Kentucky
Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
, was an American
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorse
Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...
best known for winning the 1979
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...
.
Background
He was sired by
U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee
Majestic Prince
Majestic Prince (March 19, 1966 – April 22, 1981) was a Thoroughbred racehorse. One of the leading North American horses of his generation, he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 1969.
Background
In September 1967, Majestic Prince ...
out of the mare
Alluvial
Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...
, who was in turn was sired by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
stallion
A stallion is an adult male horse that has not been gelded ( castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cre ...
Buckpasser
Buckpasser (1963– March 6, 1978) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse
Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a ...
. He was a half-brother, through Alluvial, to
Slew o' Gold
Slew o' Gold (April 19, 1980 – October 14, 2007) was an American thoroughbred racehorse who was voted the 1983 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three-Year-Old Male Horse and the 1984 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Male Horse.
Background ...
. He was owned by
William Haggin Perry
William Haggin Perry (December 5, 1910 - November 12, 1993) was an American owner and breeder of thoroughbred racehorses.
Early life
Perry was the son of Henry Pierrepont Perry, a Wall Street stockbroker, and Edith Lounsbery, who was the daughter ...
and trained by
David A. Whiteley.
Racing career
In 1979, the three-year-old Coastal did not run in the
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...
and
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...
, having made his first start in April as a result of a serious eye injury that had cut short his racing at age two. Prior to entering the mile and one-half Belmont Stakes, Coastal had raced only three times that year. He won all three under
Ruben Hernandez, but at distances of six then seven
furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...
s followed by the
Peter Pan Stakes
The Peter Pan Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds over a distance of miles (nine furlongs) run annually during the second week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
History
The race is run in honor o ...
at a mile and one-eighth. His owner decided to pay the supplemental nomination fee and run the colt in the Belmont Stakes. Coastal and Hernandez then won the Belmont in a huge upset over
Spectacular Bid
Spectacular Bid (foaled February 17, 1976 – June 9, 2003) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1979 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He holds the world record for the fastest 10 furlongs on dirt, and also broke sev ...
, (who placed third), becoming the first supplemental entry to ever win the race.
Coastal next won the
Dwyer Stakes
The Dwyer Stakes is an American Grade III stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred racehorses held annually at Belmont Park racetrack in Elmont, Long Island, New York. Run in early July, it is open to three-year-old horses and is raced over ...
on July 7, 1979, and the
Haskell Invitational Handicap
The Haskell Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of miles on the dirt held annually in July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event is a signature event at Monmouth ...
on August 4.
He finished second to
Affirmed
Affirmed (February 21, 1975 – January 12, 2001) was a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is the eleventh winner of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States), American Triple Crown. Affirmed was well known ...
in the
Woodward Stakes
The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade Il stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. It is named for prominent racehorse owner William Woodward.
The race was first run in 1954 at Aqueduct Ra ...
and third in the
Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap behind Spectacular Bid and
General Assembly
A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company.
Specific examples of general assembly include:
Churches
* General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...
. Then, in the
Grade I
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
Jockey Club Gold Cup
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race, held at the Saratoga Race Course in the United States, that is open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fal ...
, in a stretch battle with rivals Spectacular Bid and Affirmed, he again placed third, with Affirmed winning the race.
Retirement
Coastal was retired to stud at
Claiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...
in Kentucky. In 1988, he was sent to Mick Goss' Summerhill Stud in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. He sired
graded stakes winners Cherry Jubilee, Dangers Hour,
Little Brianne, and Canadian multiple stakes winner
Triple Wow.
Pensioned in the spring of 2003, Coastal died on September 29, 2005.
Pedigree
References
External links
Pedigree and partial statisticsVideo at YouTube of Coastal winning the 1979 Belmont Stakes
{{Belmont Stakes Winners
1976 racehorse births
2005 racehorse deaths
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Racehorses trained in the United States
Belmont Stakes winners
Thoroughbred family 9-f