Cherokee Run (March 15, 1990 – July 2, 2016) was an American

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 and

sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" a ...

Background

He was bred by George Onett of Stone Gate Farm. Founder of Ocala Breeder Sales Company and first chairman of the board. sired by 1982 Canadian Hall of Fame inductee

Runaway Groom Runaway Groom (1979–2007) was a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Bred by Gardiner Farms in Caledon, Ontario, Runaway Groom was sired by the prominent Nearco descendant Blushing Groom out of the mare Yonnie Girl. He ...

, who in turn was a son of leading sire Blushing Groom. He was out of the

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than fo ...

Cherokee Dame, who is the daughter of Silver Saber, and Dame Franchesca who was by Frincis S. Onett popularized nicking to Nearco as with Cherikee Fellow and Groomstick wall with heavy traces directly back to

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 ...

War Admiral War Admiral (May 2, 1934 – October 30, 1959) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the fourth winner of the American Triple Crown. He was also the 1937 Horse of the Year and well known as the rival of Seabiscuit in the 'Match ...

, and

Tom Fool Tom Fool (March 31, 1949 – August 20, 1976) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1953 American Horse of the Year and was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame. He sired the champion racehorses Buckpasser and Tim Tam. B ...

. Even though he is the offspring of two grey colored horses, Cherokee Run was born with a black coat and a white splash on the forehead just like his grandmother Dame Franchesca.

Racing career

Cherokee Run got his start as a two-year-old under trainer

Frank Gomez Frank Gomez (born March 31, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist. He formally fought in the WEC's bantamweight division. Gomez is from Albuquerque, New Mexico where he trains full-time with Jackson's Submission Fighting. He got into MMA f ...

at Calder Race Course. He ran a total of seven times, winning five times and placing second in the What A Pleasure Stakes. At three, he was sent to trainer Frank Alexander. Among his accomplishments, he took 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 a ...

, the

Derby Trial The Pat Day Mile Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on dirt over a distance of one mile scheduled on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The current purse is $500,000. Histo ...

, and the

Lafayette Stakes The Lafayette Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Open to three-year-old horses, it is contested on Polytrack synthetic dirt over a distance of seven furlongs. There is a La ...

, and placed second in the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

Prairie Bayou Prairie Bayou (March 4, 1990 – June 5, 1993) was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse owned and bred by Loblolly Stable of Lake Hamilton, Arkansas. Named for a bayou between Little Rock and Hot Springs in Arkansas, he was sired by L ...

. At four, he placed second to

Holy Bull Holy Bull (January 24, 1991 – June 7, 2017) was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Although he finished a disappointing twelfth in the 1994 Kentucky Derby, his major wins that year in the Florida Derby, Blue Grass Stakes, Metropolitan Handicap, ...

in the

Metropolitan Handicap The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile", is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile (8 fu ...

, and went on to win the

Breeder's Cup Sprint The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older. Run on dirt Corrected grade for Santa Anita sprintover a distance of 6 Furlongs ( mile), the race has been held annually s ...

. He also placed second in the A Phenomenon Handicap and the Tom Fool Stakes, and third in the

Vosburgh Stakes The Vosburgh Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Run at the end of September/early October, it is open to horses three-years-old and up of either gender. A Grade II sprint race, it is ...

and the

Carter Handicap The Carter Handicap is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of seven furlongs run annually in early April at Aqueduct Racetrack. Race history First run in 1895, the race was named for B ...

. At five, he won the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint Handicap.

Retirement

Cherokee Run was retired in 1996 and stood at Jonabell Farm in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...

, for a fee of $40,000 live foal. He has been very successful. His family lines show great ability to run on turf as well as dirt. The Onett family, breeders of Cherokee Run, proved this versatility by racing his kinship in sprints as well as distance races on the dirt and turf, earning black type status in every category. Some of his offspring are

War Pass War Pass (April 17, 2005 – December 24, 2010) was an American champion Thoroughbred racehorse and winner of the 2007 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Owned by Robert V. LaPenta and bred by Cherry Valley Farm, he was out of the mare Vue, a daughter of th ...

Chilukki Chilukki (1997–2007) was an American Eclipse Award, Champion Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse, who during her racing career set two track records at Churchill Downs. She was bred in Kentucky by Dr. R. Smiser West and National Museum of ...

, Kafwain, Zanjero, Madame Cherokee, During, Recapturetheglory, Balraj, and Dash for Daylight. Sebastian's Song is also a son of Cherokee Run and has had a successful start to his career with three wins in seven lifetime starts. He ran in the 2008 Queen's Plate but is regarded as a top sprint prospect. One of his notable and promising young colts was Chelokee, who won the Northern Dancer Breeders' Cup and Barbaro Stakes before suffering a career-ending injury in the Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs, on May 2, 2008. Chedi, a 2007 Virginia bred gelding, out of Doctoressa (Doc's Leader), set a new track record a
Colonial Downs
on July 6, 2011, going 1 mile in 1:34.3. Cherokee Run was

euthanised 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 ...

because of "the infirmities of old age" on 2 July 2016.

References

{{reflist 1990 racehorse births 2016 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Florida Racehorses trained in the United States Horse racing track record setters Breeders' Cup Sprint winners American Grade 1 Stakes winners Thoroughbred family 21