War Pass

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename= War Pass


caption=
sire= Cherokee Run
grandsire= Runaway Groom
dam= Vue
damsire= Mr. Prospector
sex= Colt
foaled= 2005
country= United States flagicon|USA
colour= Dark Bay
breeder= Cherry Valley Farm
owner= Robert V. LaPenta
trainer= Nicholas P. Zito
record= 7: 5-1-0
earnings= $1,433,400
race= Champagne Stakes (2007)
American Classics / Breeders' Cup wins:
Breeders' Cup Juvenile (2007)
awards= American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt (2007)
honours=
updated= January 3, 2008

War Pass (foaled April 17, 2005 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and winner of the 2007 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Owned by Robert V. LaPenta and bred by Cherry Valley Farm, he is out of the mare Vue, a daughter of the influential Champion sire, Mr. Prospector. He was sired by the 1994 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner, Cherokee Run, a descendant of the very important sire, Nearco.

Race career

- 2007 -

Trained by Nick Zito, War Pass both broke his maiden and won a first level allowance race at Saratoga Race Course in August and September. On October 3, 2007 he won the G1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park which as a part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge earned him an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. [ [http://www.ntra.com/stats_bios.aspx?id=28299 War Pass - NTRA ] ] . On October 27, 2007, War Pass was the post time favorite and won the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile by 4 3/4 lengths over a sloppy track at Monmouth Park. Undefeated in 2007, he was made a winterbook favorite for the 2008 Kentucky Derby.

- 2008 -

Wintered at Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center in Florida, War Pass started his three year old campaign in an Allowance Race. With no real competition in the race, the betting public made him the 1 to 20 favorite. War Pass broke to the lead and never being asked, pulled away from the field with little effort under Cornelio Velasquez. War Pass' next start in the G3 Tampa Bay Derby started out in similar fashion, as he was again the overwhelming 1 to 20 favorite. However, he was bumped at the start and never got into the lead. Although he eventually made it up to third in the field of seven, he stopped badly and finished last, beaten 23 lengths. He apparently had a fever earlier in the week, and trainer Nick Zito said that he also sustained some cuts due to the bumping he took at the beginning of the race.

When he was shipped to New York's Aqueduct Racetrack for the April 5, 2008 Wood Memorial Stakes, War Pass had a difficult trip and suffered a cut lip that required stitches. In the race, he took the lead early but tired in the homestretch and finished second after being caught in the final six strides by Tale of Ekati.

Following the Wood Memorial, it was discovered he had a minor fracture in his left foreleg, and was officially out of the Kentucky Derby. Although he made a full recovery, vets concluded that it would be too dangerous to run him again. War Pass was retired to stud in September 2008. As of 09/06/2008 no stud fee has been decided.

Future Breeding Career

On November 16, 2007, it was announced that upon retirement the horse will stand at Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky [ [http://horseracing.sportsline.com/cbs/headlines/showarticle.aspx?articleId=23589 Horse Racing - CBSSports.com ] ] .

Races

References

*Daily Racing Form Past Performances
* [http://www.ntra.com/content.aspx?type=news&id=30516 January 21, 2008 NTRA article titled "War Pass wins Eclipse for 2-Year-Old Male"]