{{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 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 ...
. He was sired by 1987 Champion Two Year Old Colt Forty Niner, out of the unraced
Damascus
Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
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 ru ...
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 Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Midsummer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds accor ...
. 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:
Animals
* Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding
** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred
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* Stud (band), a British progressive rock group
* The Stud (bar), a gay bar in San Francisco
* ...
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 in
Hokkaido
is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...
.
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 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, Grand Adventure and
Grade I
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...