War Emblem
| War Emblem | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Our Emblem |
| Grandsire | Mr. Prospector |
| Dam | Sweetest Lady |
| Damsire | Lord at War |
| Sex | Stallion until gelded at age 17 |
| Foaled | 1999 |
| Country | United States |
| Color | Dark Bay or Brown |
| Breeder | Charles Nuckols Jr. & Sons |
| Owner | Russell L. Reineman The Thoroughbred Corp. |
| Trainer | Frank R. Springer Bob Baffert |
| Record | 13: 7-0-0 |
| Earnings | $3,491,000 |
| Major wins | |
|
Illinois Derby (2002) Kentucky Derby (2002) Preakness Stakes (2002) |
|
| Awards | |
| American Champion 3-Yr-Old Male Horse (2002) | |
Illinois Derby (2002)
Haskell Invitational Handicap (2002)
War Emblem (foaled February 20, 1999 in Kentucky) was the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2002.
War Emblem was bred by Charles Nuckols Jr. & Sons in Kentucky. His sire was Our Emblem, a stakes placed son of leading sire Mr. Prospector and the undefeated mare Personal Ensign. War Emblem's dam was Sweetest Lady by Lord At War. Often described as nearly black, he was registered as dark bay or brown colt with a white star. In the 2000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, he failed to meet his reserve of $20,000 so raced under the colors of Russell Reineman, who had owned the colt's dam. He was initially trained by Frank Springer.
War Emblem was a temperamental horse who did not particularly like other horses or people: Bob Baffert nicknamed the colt 'Hannibal Lector' for his habit of biting. He had a history of bone chips in his knees and ankles, which discouraged several potential buyers. He liked to race at the front of the field but sometimes compromised his own chances by acting up in the starting gate.
As a two-year-old, War Emblem won his first start, but then finished seventh when entered in the Manila Stakes. He rebounded with a win in an allowance race to finish 2001 with a record of two wins from three starts.
His three-year-old campaign started poorly, with a fifth place in the Lecomte Stakes and a sixth-place finish in the Risen Star, both at Fair Grounds Race Course. He returned to form with a 10 3⁄4 length win in an allowance race at Sportsman's Park, then won the Illinois Derby by 6 1⁄4 lengths in wire-to-wire fashion. Prince Ahmed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia bought a ninety percent interest in War Emblem for a reported $1 million just three weeks before the Kentucky Derby.
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