Colonel John (foaled March 4, 2005 in
Kentucky) is an American
Thoroughbred racehorse
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, 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 basic pr ...
who won the 2008
Santa Anita Derby and
Travers Stakes.
Background
Bred and raced by
WinStar Farm, Colonel John was sired by
Tiznow, the 2000 U.S.
Horse of the Year and a two-time winner of the
Breeders' Cup Classic. His dam is Sweet Damsel, a daughter of
Turkoman, the 1986
American Champion Older Male Horse The title of American Champion Older Dirt Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a stallion or gelding, four years old and up, for performances on dirt and main track racing surfaces. In 1971, it became part of ...
, who was a son of
U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee
Alydar. Colonel John was trained by
Eoin Harty. Colonel John is named for a service member who helped Bill Casner and his wife after their daughter was killed in the
2002 Bali bombings
The 2002 Bali bombings occurred on 12 October 2002 in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. The attack killed 202 people (including 88 Australians, 38 Indonesians, 23 Britons, and people of more than 20 other nationalit ...
, and not after the paternal grandfather on
7th Heaven.
Racing career
In 2008, Colonel John won the
Sham Stakes and the
Grade I Santa Anita Derby. His performances in these races made him an early favorite for the 2008
U.S. Triple Crown series, despite his racing experience consisting of only races on
Cushion Track synthetic dirt. Ultimately, Colonel John finished 6th in the
2008 Kentucky Derby
The 2008 Kentucky Derby was the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 3, 2008 with 157,770 in attendance, the second largest in Derby history.[Swaps Stakes
The Los Alamitos Derby (formerly the Swaps Stakes) is a race for Thoroughbred horses run annually at Los Alamitos Race Course in Los Alamitos, California. The race is open to three-year-old horses and is contested at one and one-eighth miles on th ...]
to Tres Barrachos and Two Step Salsa. In August, Colonel John won the
Travers Stakes by a nose over Mambo in Seattle and other well-regarded contenders such as
Pyro
Pyro comes from the Greek word πῦρ (pyr), meaning ''fire''. It may refer to:
Businesses
*Pyro Plastics Corporation, a plastic model kit maker 1940s through the 1970s
*Pyro Studios, a computer game developer based in Madrid
* NRK P3 Pyro, a No ...
,
Harlem Rocker, and
Macho Again in a time of 2:03.20.
Colonel John was a finalist for the
Eclipse Award's
American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse for 2008.
After not racing since December 2008, he came back on July 31, 2009, to win the Wickerr Stakes at one mile over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course at
Del Mar Racetrack ridden by
Garrett Gomez. He then ran 5th in the Pacific Classic Stakes to the upset winner Richard's Kid. He also was entered in the Goodwood Stakes and ran second by a neck to Gitano Hernado. Colonel John closed out his career in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic by running 5th to
Zenyatta.
Stud career
Colonel John retired to stand at stud at WinStar Farm near Versailles for an initial fee of $15,000. He proved a moderately successful sire, with several stakes winners including Airoforce, Cocked and Loaded, and Dalmore. In September 2016, he was sold to the Korea Thoroughbred Breeders Association for an undisclosed price. He will stand stud in Jeju-do,
Korea beginning in 2017.
Notable progeny
''c =
colt
Colt(s) or COLT may refer to:
* Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age
People
*Colt (given name)
*Colt (surname)
Places
* Colt, Arkansas, United States
*Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United State ...
, f =
filly
A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use:
*In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old.
*In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...
'', g =
gelding
A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...
''
References
{{reflist
Video at kentuckyderby.com of Colonel John winning the 2007 Real Quiet Stakes
2005 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Racehorses trained in the United States
Thoroughbred family 5-i
Godolphin Arabian sire line