- Awards And Honors:
- Kentucky Derby (1981)
- Preakness Stakes (1981)
Pleasant Colony
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Who was Pleasant Colony?
Pleasant Colony, foaled in 1978, was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 1981, he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes but lost the Belmont Stakes, missing the Triple Crown of American horse racing.
Owned by Thomas M. Evans, Pleasant Colony was initially unimpressive but later showed speed and stamina under trainer John Campo. His Wood Memorial Stakes win led to his entry in the Kentucky Derby, where he won by three-quarters of a length with jockey Jorge Velásquez.
At the Preakness, Pleasant Colony was the favorite and won by one length. However, at the Belmont Stakes, he finished third after being startled before the race.
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What were Pleasant Colony’s major achievements as a racehorse?
Pleasant Colony, a Thoroughbred, achieved significant success in 1981 when he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. His attempt to win the Triple Crown ended with a loss at the Belmont Stakes. In the Kentucky Derby, he started slow but sped up to win by three-quarters of a length. At the Preakness, he was in the middle of the pack before storming down the track to win by one length.
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Which famous horse races did Pleasant Colony win?
Pleasant Colony, an American Thoroughbred, achieved fame by winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes in 1981. His success in the Wood Memorial Stakes encouraged his owner to enter him in the Derby. At the Kentucky Derby, Pleasant Colony, with Jorge Velásquez as his jockey, overcame a slow start to win by three-quarters of a length. In the Preakness, he was the favorite and secured a one-length victory. However, his bid for the Triple Crown ended with a loss at the Belmont Stakes, where he finished third after being startled before the race.
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Who owned and trained Pleasant Colony during his racing career?
Pleasant Colony was owned by Thomas M. Evans, who foaled him in 1978 on his Virginia farm. As a young horse, Pleasant Colony was difficult to handle. After losing the first two races of his third year, Evans sent him to trainer John Campo in New York. Campo recognized the colt's speed and stamina, which encouraged Evans to enter him in the Wood Memorial Stakes, which Pleasant Colony won. Pleasant Colony went on to win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes in 1981 with Jorge Velásquez as his jockey.
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What made Pleasant Colony stand out among other racehorses of his time?
Pleasant Colony stood out due to his remarkable stamina and speed, which were not immediately apparent. Initially awkward and difficult, he showed potential in his third year when trainer John Campo recognized his ability to strengthen over longer distances.
His come-from-behind victory in the Wood Memorial Stakes, charging from 13 lengths behind, signaled his readiness for the Kentucky Derby, which he won after being 17th at the start. Following this, Pleasant Colony won the Preakness Stakes. Although he failed to win the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes, his earlier performances highlighted his unique racing style and ability to compete in prestigious races.
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Pleasant Colony, (foaled 1978), American racehorse (Thoroughbred) who in 1981 won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes but lost at the Belmont Stakes, ending his bid for the coveted Triple Crown of American horse racing.
Pleasant Colony was foaled on the Virginia farm of his owner, Thomas M. Evans, a New York industrialist and financier. As a yearling, the colt was thin, awkward, and leggy. He was also difficult to handle and won only two of his five starts during his first year of racing. After he lost the first two races in his third year, he was shipped to New York to trainer John Campo, who detected two qualities in the colt that he liked: speed and stamina. The farther the colt ran, the stronger he became. That encouraged Evans to enter him in the Wood Memorial Stakes, the prestigious New York race that serves as preparation for the Kentucky Derby. The result was an eye-opener as Pleasant Colony charged from 13 lengths behind to win. The performance convinced his owner and trainer to enter him in the Derby.
Pleasant Colony went off at 7–2 odds in a field of 20 horses at the Derby, with Jorge Velásquez as his jockey. He again dawdled at the start and was in 17th place before he sped up and raced through the field ahead of the final turn. Then Velásquez moved him to the outside, used the whip a couple of times, and hand-rode him to the finish, easing up to win by three-quarters of a length.
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Only 13 horses made up the field at the Preakness, where Pleasant Colony was the favourite at 3–2 odds. Bold Ego, second favourite at 7–2 odds, took command at the start and dictated a moderate pace. Pleasant Colony remained in the middle of the track, passing horses until the top of the stretch. He then stormed down the track, caught up to and passed Bold Ego some 70 yards from the finish, and was hand-ridden to a one-length victory.
At the Belmont Stakes, Pleasant Colony went off at 4–5 odds in a field of 11 horses. He appeared reluctant to leave the barn and was sweaty in the paddock area. Reportedly, someone had thrown a firecracker at his feet. Further aggravating matters, he was then frightened by a cameraman perched on the gate and would not move into his stall until the man left. As usual, he trailed at the start of the race but caught up with the leaders at the turn into the stretch. Velásquez urged Pleasant Colony to begin his run, and he responded briefly before peaking and failing to move into the lead. Summing won the race by a neck over Highland Blade, who finished a length and a half in front of Pleasant Colony.