Capot

Capot
Sire Menow
Grandsire Pharamond
Dam Piquet
Damsire St. Germans
Sex Stallion
Foaled 1946
Country United States
Colour Brown
Breeder Greentree Stable
Owner Greentree Stable
Trainer John M. Gaver, Sr.
Record 28: 12-4-7
Earnings $345,260
Major wins

Champagne Stakes (1948)
Pimlico Futurity (1948)
Jerome Handicap (1949), Pimlico Special (1949)
[Wilson Stakes]] (1950)

American Classic Race wins:
Preakness Stakes (1949)
Belmont Stakes (1949)
Awards
U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt (1949)
Co-United States Horse of the Year (1949)
Honours
Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame (1977)
Horse (Equus ferus caballus)

Capot (born 1946) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse sired by Menow out of the mare Piquet. Owned and bred by Greentree Stable, Capot was trained by John M. Gaver, Sr.

Contents

Two year-old season

Racing as a two-year-old, Capot won the Champagne Stakes, the Wakefield Stakes and He capped off the year with his best performance in the prestigious Pimlico Futurity.

Three year-old season

At age three, Capot entered the 1949 Kentucky Derby as a 13–1 longshot. Ridden by Ted Atkinson in all the American Triple Crown races, Capot broke from the gate well and was forwardly placed early. He charged to the front of the field on the backstretch. He held on willingly, but was unable to withstand the rush from winner Ponder. Easily the best of the rest, he finished in second by 4½ lengths in front of Palestinian.

Then, in the second jewel of the Triple Crown, Capot opened as the 2.5–1 second favorite in the field of ten in the $75,000 Preakness. In that race, all broke well and Capot sprinted near the lead in second as he passed the stands for the first time. Going into Pimlico's famous clubhouse turn, he was steadied in close quarters but held his position. Just inside the furlong pole coming down the lane, Capot assumed control and drew clear under pressure. He was handled nicely by Atkinson to stave off the rally of Palestinian and win by a head. It was three more lengths back to Noble Impulse in third, as favorite Ponder finished fifth. Capot went on to win the Belmont Stakes three weeks later. His performances earned him 1949's Three-Year-Old Male Champion honors, and he shared the 1949 Horse of the Year title with Coaltown.

Four year-old season

At age four, Capot won major stakes races including the 1950 Pimlico Special Handicap at "Old Hilltop" in Baltimore, Maryland. Capot is one of only four horses in history to win both of Maryland's top races in the Preakness Stakes and the Pimlico Special. The others were three Triple Crown winners in Citation, Assault and Whirlaway. Later that year he also won the Wilson Stakes and finished second in the Fleetwing Handicap.

References