Acatenango (1982–2005) was a German

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

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 ...

. Sired by the

Deutsches Derby The Deutsches Derby is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Hamburg-Horn over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is scheduled to ...

winner and German Champion sire,

Surumu Surumu (26 February 1974 – 3 November 1999) was a German Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Surumu, a Chestnut (coat), chestnut, was foaled in 1974 at Andreas Jacobs, the Jacobs family's Gestüt Fährhof near Bremen. He was from the Dark Ronal ...

, he was out of the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

mare Aggravate. Acatenango's ancestry includes German Champion sire

Dark Ronald Dark Ronald was an English bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire with a global influence on the breeding of Thoroughbreds and sport horses, with many show jumpers tracing back to him. Breeding The sire of Dark Ronald, Bay Ronald, was a moderate ...

, the French Champion sire,

Tantieme Tantième (1947–1966) was a French Thoroughbred horse racing champion and prominent sire who twice won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, France's most prestigious horse race. He also won several other important conditions races including the Gran ...

English Triple Crown The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, often shortened to Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for Thoroughbreds, often restricted to three-year-olds. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplis ...

champion

Gainsborough Gainsborough or Gainsboro may refer to: Places * Gainsborough, Ipswich, Suffolk, England ** Gainsborough Ward, Ipswich * Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, a town in England ** Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency) * Gainsborough, New South Wales, ...

, and the most influential

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

sire,

Nearco Nearco (January 24, 1935 – June 27, 1957) was an Italian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by ''Thoroughbred Heritage'' as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He ...

. Racing in 1984 at age two, Acatenango's best finish was a third in the Ratibor-Rennen at

Krefeld Krefeld ( , ; li, Krieëvel ), also spelled Crefeld until 1925 (though the spelling was still being used in British papers throughout the Second World War), is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, i ...

. In 1985 he embarked on a thirteen-race winning streak that tied a European record held by Ardross and

Brigadier Gerard Brigadier Gerard is the comedic hero of a series of 17 historical short stories, a play, and a major character in a novel by the British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. Brigadier Etienne Gerard is a Hussar officer in the French Army during the Napoleon ...

. Included in his wins was the Grosser Bavaria Preis, a listed race at Munich Racecourse and the important

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 ...

Aral-Pokal at the Gelsenkirchen Racecourse in

Gelsenkirchen Gelsenkirchen (, , ; wep, Gelsenkiärken) is the 25th most populous city of Germany and the 11th most populous in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with 262,528 (2016) inhabitants. On the Emscher River (a tributary of the Rhine), it lies ...

. Acatenango's most important win that year came in the

, the equivalent of the United Kingdom's

Epsom Derby The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey o ...

and America's

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

. His performances earned him 1985

German Horse of the Year German Horse of the Year is an award for racehorses instituted in 1957. It is the oldest public vote in the German sports. It was instituted by the WDR journalist Addi Furler. The award is decided by public vote. Records Most wins: * 3 - Orofino ...

honors. In 1986, Acatenango continued his winning streak. Usually ridden in Germany by

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

Andrzej Tylicki, under jockey Georg Bocskai he won his second Aral-Pokal, defeated

Theatrical Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

in winning the

Grosser Preis von Berlin The Großer Preis von Berlin, formerly known as the Deutschland-Preis, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Hoppegarten over a distance of 2,400 metres (ab ...

, and scored the first of his two consecutive wins in the

Grosser Preis von Baden The Grosser Preis von Baden is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Baden-Baden over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is schedu ...

, Germany's most prestigious horse race. Racing outside of the country, in 1986

Steve Cauthen Steve Cauthen (born May 1, 1960) is a retired American jockey. In 1977 he became the first jockey to win over $6 million in a year working with agent Lenny Goodman, and in 1978 he became the youngest jockey to win the U. S. ...

rode Acatenango to victory in the

Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Saint-Cloud over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is ...

at the

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 Hospital ...

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. For the second year he was voted German Horse of the Year. In 1987, Acatenango won his second straight Grosser Preis von Baden and was third to winner

Triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek language, Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) t ...

in the

Coronation Cup The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2, ...

Epsom Downs Epsom Downs is an area of chalk downland, chalk upland near Epsom, Surrey; in the North Downs. Part of the area is taken up by the Epsom Downs Racecourse, racecourse, the gallops are part of the land purchased by Stanly Wootton in 1925 and are ...

in England. His performances earned him his third consecutive German Horse of the Year title. Retired to

stud Stud may refer to the following terms: 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 ba ...

duty at his owner's breeding farm, Acatenango was the

leading sire in Germany The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of racehorses in Germany for each year since 1867. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the season. ---- * 1867 - St. Giles (1) * 1868 - Lord Fauconbe ...

in 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2001. His sons and daughters include: * Lando, winner of the 1993

and the 1995

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 ...

Borgia The House of Borgia ( , ; Spanish and an, Borja ; ca-valencia, Borja ) was an Italian-Aragonese Spanish noble family, which rose to prominence during the Italian Renaissance. They were from Valencia, the surname being a toponymic from the town ...

, the 1997 Deutsches Derby and Grosser Preis von Baden winner * Fraulein, winner in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

of the 2002 E. P. Taylor Stakes. *

Blue Canari Background In August 2002, Blue Canari was consigned by the Haras du Mezeray to the Deauville yearling sale and was bought for €135,000 by the Chantilly Bloodstock Agency, acting on behalf of Jean-Louis Bouchard. The colt was sent into traini ...

, winner in France of the 2004

Prix du Jockey Club The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a ...

* Sabiango, won the 2001

Rheinland-Pokal The Grosser Preis von Bayern is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Munich Racecourse over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year ...

, 2003 Deutschland-Preis, and in the United States the 2004

Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap The Charles Whittingham Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses age three years old and older over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late May at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, USA. The event curre ...

* Nicaron, won the 2005 Deutsches Derby * Dalicia, won the 2005 Preis der Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, dam of the 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom * Wurftaube, won the 1996 German St. Leger, dam of 2011

winner Waldpark and Waldmark dam of Masked Marvel Due to declining fertility Acatenango was retired from stud duties in 2004. He was humanely

euthanized Animal euthanasia ( euthanasia from el, εὐθανασία; "good death") is the act of killing an animal or allowing it to die by withholding extreme medical measures. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditi ...

on 2 April 2005 at the age of 23 following an accident in his paddock.

References

Racing Career

Progeny

2 April 2005 Bloodhorse article on the death of Acatenango
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acatenango (Horse) 1982 racehorse births 2005 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Germany Racehorses trained in Germany German Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Thoroughbred family 11-a