Kotashaan (foaled May 4, 1988 in
Orne
Orne (; or ) is a département in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne. It had a population of 279,942 in 2019.[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 ...
who competed in France and earned
Champion
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, Competition, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world champi ...
honors in the United States.
Background
He was bred and raced by brothers
Alain Alain may refer to:
People
* Alain (given name), common given name, including list of persons and fictional characters with the name
* Alain (surname)
* "Alain", a pseudonym for cartoonist Daniel Brustlein
* Alain, a standard author abbreviation u ...
and
Gérard Wertheimer
Gérard Paul Philippe Wertheimer (born 17 April 1951) is a French billionaire businessman based in New York City and Geneva, who owns Chanel in partnership with his brother, Alain. As of October 2022, Wertheimer's net worth was estimated at US$4 ...
, owners of the
House of Chanel in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. Kotashaan was sired by
Darshaan
Darshaan (18 April 1981 – 21 May 2001) was a British-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and a Champion sire and broodmare sire.
Background
Darshaan was a brown horse bred by his owner the Aga Khan IV. He was sired by th ...
, winner of the 1984
French Derby and the
Leading sire in France The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in France for each year since 1887. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season. Due to the huge prize money of the Prix de l'Arc de Tr ...
in 2003. His dam was Haute Authorite, a daughter of the American runner
Elocutionist who in 1976 won the second leg of the
U.S. Triple Crown series, the
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 ...
.
Racing career
France
Trained by
Criquette Head-Maarek
Christiane "Criquette" Head (born 6 November 1948 at Marly-le-Roi, near Maisons-Laffitte, France) is a retired French racehorse trainer. Known as Criquette, she was born into the Thoroughbred horse racing business. Her great grandfather was a j ...
, the world's most successful female
trainer, Kotashann made his racing debut on November 16, 1990. He finished second in a maiden race at
Saint-Cloud Racecourse
Hippodrome de Saint-Cloud is a grass race course for Thoroughbred flat horse racing opened in 1901 at 1 rue du Camp Canadien in Saint-Cloud near Paris, France. During World War 1, the race course site housed the No. 4 Canadian Stationary Hospita ...
then two weeks later got his first win at
Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse
The Hippodrome de Maisons-Laffitte at 1 avenue de la Pelouse in the northwestern Parisian suburb of Maisons-Laffitte in France was a turf horse racing facility and track for Thoroughbred flat racing. Opened in 1878 by Joseph Oller, inventor of t ...
. At age three in 1991, he debuted in April with a fifth-place finish in the
Prix Noailles
The Prix Noailles is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run over a distance of 2,100 metres (about 1 mile and 2½ fu ...
then won his next two starts, capturing the listed
Prix de Courcelles and the
Group 3 Group 3 may refer to:
* Group 3 element, chemical element classification
* Group 3 (motorsport), FIA classification of cars used in auto racing and rallying
* Group 3, the third tier of races in worldwide Thoroughbred horse racing
* Group 3 image ...
Prix La Force
The Prix La Force is a Group 3 (horse racing), Group 3 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 2,000 metres (abo ...
. Kotashann contested his first
Group One
Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...
race on June 23, 1991, finishing third to
Subotica
Subotica (, ; , , ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city in Central Europe and the administrative center of the North Bačka District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Formerly the largest city of Vojvodina region, contemporary Sub ...
in the
Grand Prix de Paris
The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), an ...
. He followed this up with another third-place effort in the August 15th G2
Prix Guillaume d'Ornano
The Prix Guillaume d'Ornano is a Conditions races, Group 2 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Deauville-La Touques Racecourse, Deauvi ...
and a second-place finish on September 9 in the G3
La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte
La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte is a Group 3 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is sched ...
.
United States
The Wertheimer brothers decided to send Kotashaan to compete in turf races in the United States, where they raced their horses under the name of La Presle Farm. Under
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
trainer
Richard Mandella
Richard Eugene Mandella (born November 5, 1950, in Altadena, California), is a Thoroughbred horse trainer and a member of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame.
Mandella's father, a blacksmith, introduced him to horses at an early age and while still i ...
, he was limited by an injury and made just four starts in 1992, winning only one minor race. In top form in 1993, though, Kotashaan won six of ten starts with three runner-up finishes, and earned more than US$2.6 million. He did lose three races to top turf horse
Star of Cozzene
Star of Cozzene (foaled 1988 in Kentucky - February 5, 2013) was a retired American Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse who won on both dirt and turf.
A descendant of Nearco through both his sire and his Mare, dam, he won the 1991 Kelso Stakes, ...
in late 1992 and early 1993. He won five major California races at distances from including the
San Juan Capistrano Handicap
The San Juan Capistrano Stakes is a Grade III American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of run on the turf track held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in June. The event currently offers a purse o ...
in track-record time. He then capped it off with a win in the November 6, 1993,
Breeders' Cup Turf
The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current ...
at
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious race ...
. In the Turf, Kotashaan defeated a strong field that included runner-up
Bien Bien
Bien Bien (1989–2002) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse bred by William S. Farish III & William S. Kilroy and raced by Trudy McCaffery and John Toffan.
He won eight stakes races during his career, including four Grade I events. He set a ...
, defending Breeders' Cup Turf champion,
Fraise
Fraise (1988–2005) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1992 Breeders' Cup Turf.
Background
Fraise was a bay horse bred by Allen E. Paulson. He was sired by Strawberry Road, the 1983 Australian Horse of the Year ...
(4),
Hatoof
Hatoof (born January 26, 1989, in Versailles, Kentucky) is a Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who competed internationally out of a base in Chantilly, France, under trainer Criquette Head for owner Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Racing a ...
(5),
winner,
Opera House
An opera house is a theater building used for performances of opera. Like many theaters, it usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, backstage facilities for costumes and building sets, as well as offices for the institut ...
(6), and
French Derby winner,
Hernando (10)
Following his Breeders' Cup win, Kotashaan was sold to a Japanese syndicate. For his new owners, he made his final start of 1993, and of his racing career, in the November 28
Japan Cup
The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...
. Ridden by his regular American jockey,
Kent Desormeaux
Kent Jason Desormeaux (born February 27, 1970) is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year with 598 wins in 1989. He has won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes t ...
, Kotashaan finished second to
Legacy World after Desormeaux misjudged the finish line.
Honors
Kotashaan's 1993 performances earned him the
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse.
An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division. The trophy is made by a few small selected A ...
for
American Champion Male Turf Horse
The American Champion Male Turf Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor.
The award originated in 1953 when the ''Daily Racing Form'' (DRF) named Iceberg II their champion. The Thoroughbred Racing Association (TRA) added the cat ...
, plus the highest honor in United States' Thoroughbred racing,
American Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year, or simply Horse of the Year, one of the Eclipse Awards, is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. Because Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has no governing body to san ...
.
Stud record
Retired to
stud
Stud may refer to:
Animals
* Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding
** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred
Arts and entertainment
* Stud (band), a British progressive rock group
* The Stud (bar), a gay bar in San Francisco
* ...
duty, he stood in Japan until 2000 when Andrew (Willy) Murphy purchased him and brought him to stand at Ballycurragh Stud in
Rathoe,
County Carlow
County Carlow ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county located in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region of Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Carlow is the List of Irish counties by area, second smallest and t ...
,
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
He has had little success as a sire.
References
Kotashaan's pedigree and partial racing stats
Kotashaan at the Aga Khan Stud
Video at YouTube of Kotashaan winning the 1993 Breeders' Cup Turf
{{American Horse of the Year winners
1988 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in France
Racehorses trained in France
Racehorses trained in the United States
American Thoroughbred Horse of the Year
Eclipse Award winners
Breeders' Cup Turf winners
Thoroughbred family 19-a