{{nihongo, Coronado's Quest, コロナドズクエスト, ''Koronadozukuesuto'' (February 15, 1995 – March 8, 2006) was an American-based
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 ...
. He was sired by 1987 Champion Two Year Old Colt Forty Niner, out of the unraced
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
daughter Laughing Look. His granddam, Laughter, is a 3/4 sister to the great Ruffian.
Racing career
As a two-year-old, Coronado's Quest won three graded stakes, all in New York, including a victory in the
Remsen Stakes
The Remsen Stakes is an American Grade II race for Thoroughbred horse race run annually near the end of November at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. The one and one-eighths mile race is open to two-year-olds and currently offers a purse of ...
over future
Blue Grass Stakes
The Blue Grass Stakes, currently the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes due to sponsorship by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is a horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. The race is run ...
winner Halory Hunter. The following year, he was known for his moody temperament (which earned him the nickname "the Bad Boy of Racing") as much as his talent. He started his three-year-old campaign in Florida with a second in the Hutcheson stakes to Time Limit after dumping jockey Mike Smith before the race. His antics just got worse from there, coming to a head with a dismal fifth in the Florida Derby, which effectively ended his chance at the Kentucky Derby.
After the fiasco in Florida, Coronado's Quest returned to New York. He underwent a routine surgery to fix an entrapped epiglottis and the improvement was dramatic. He reeled off five straight graded stakes scores, culminating in a nose win over
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...
winner
Victory Gallop
Victory Gallop (foaled May 30, 1995, in Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1998 Belmont Stakes to deny Real Quiet the Triple Crown, and was the 1999 Champion Older Dirt Male.
Background
Bred by Ivan Dalos' ...
in the
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Mid-Summer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds according to internation ...
. It was eerily similar to his sire's Travers win over Seeking the Gold and Brian's Time ten years prior.
Stallion career
Coronado's Quest was retired to stand
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 ...
at the historic
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 1999. He was sold to Japan in 2003, where he died March 8, 2006, from heart failure after covering a mare at the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association's
Shizunai Stallion Station
Shizunai Stallion Station is a Japanese Thoroughbred horse farm was opened in 1963 and is located on the island of Hokkaidō. Operated by the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association (JBBA), it is located in Shizunai whose sister city is Lexingto ...
in
Hokkaido
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
.
Coronado's Quest was only moderately successful at stud, despite his excellent pedigree and race record. He sired seventeen stakes winners, including multiple Grade I winner
Society Selection
A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societi ...
in America, Grade I winner Crucifijo in Mexico and Group 2 winner Al Jadeed in Europe. While standing in Japan he sired Grade 3 winner Ceres Hunt (セレスハント ''Seresuhanto'').
Though a disappointment as a sire, he has quickly become a top young broodmare sire. His most notable grandsons and daughters include champions
Kodiak Kowboy
Kodiak Kowboy (foaled April 16, 2005 in Kentucky) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse owned by Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farms and trained by Steve Asmussen. He was also trained by Larry Jones for part of his career. In 2007 he won a ...
, Grand Adventure and
Grade I
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...