Blushing John

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Blushing John


caption =
sire = Blushing Groom
grandsire = Red God
dam = La Griffe
damsire = Prince John
sex = Stallion
foaled = 1985
country = United States
colour = Chestnut
breeder = North Ridge Farm
owner = Allen E. Paulson
trainer = Francois Boutin (France)
Richard J. Lundy (USA)
record = 19: 9-1-2
earnings = $1,548,081
race = Prix Saint-Roman‎ (1987)
Prix de Fontainebleau (1988)
Poule d'Essai des Poulains (1988)
Razorback Handicap (1989)
Washington Park Handicap (1989)
Hollywood Gold Cup (1989)
Pimlico Special (1989)
awards = American Champion Older Male Horse (1989)
honours =
updated= CURRENTTIME, CURRENTDAYNAME CURRENTMONTHNAME CURRENTDAY CURRENTYEAR (UTC)

Blushing John (foaled March 9, 1985 in Kentucky) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in France and in the United States. He was bred by Franklin Groves' North Ridge Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. Out of the mare La Griffe, he was a son of the very influential Champion sire, Blushing Groom.

Blushing John was purchased by American horseman Allen E. Paulson who maintained racing operations both in France and the United States. Paulson sent the colt to trainer Francois Boutin at the Chantilly Racecourse training center.

Sent to the track as a two-year-old, Blushing John won his debut in September 1987 at Longchamp Racecourse under regular jockey Freddy Head. His most important win of 1987 came next under substitute jockey Yves Saint-Martin in the Prix Saint-Roman. He then ran third for Freddy Head in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud.

At age three, he won the Group One Poule d'Essai des Poulains and was then sent to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky to compete in the 1988 Breeders' Cup Mile. With his regular jockey Freddy Head riding stablemate Miesque, Blushing John was ridden by American jockey Pat Day. Never in contention, the colt finished in tenth place.

Following the Breeders' Cup, Blushing John's owner decided to leave him to race in the United States and turned him over to trainer Dick Lundy. Racing on dirt for the first time, Blushing John responded by winning the Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn Park, the Washington Park Handicap at Arlington Park, the Grade I Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park Racetrack, and then in track record time, the Grade I Pimlico Special at Pimlico Race Course. In his final race of 1989, Blushing John ran third behind winner Sunday Silence and runnerup Easy Goer in the 1989 Breeders' Cup Classic. Blushing John's 1989 performaces earned him the Eclipse Award for American Champion Older Male Horse.

Retired to stud, in the United States Blushing John notably sired the filly Blushing K.D., a multiple stakes winner including the Grade I Kentucky Oaks. He eventually was exported to Japan where he stood at Maruzen Hashimoto Farm until 2004 when he was pensioned.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/blushing+john Blushing John's pedigree and partial racing stats]