Capot
Encyclopedia
Capot 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.
, the Wakefield Stakes and He capped off the year with his best performance in the prestigious Pimlico Futurity.
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
.
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.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse sired
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
by Menow out of the mare Piquet. Owned and bred by Greentree Stable
Greentree Stable
Greentree Stable, in Red Bank, New Jersey, was a major American thoroughbred horse racing stable and breeding farm established in 1914 by Payne Whitney of the Whitney family of New York City. Payne Whitney operated a horse farm and stable at Saratoga Springs, New York with his brother Harry Payne...
, Capot was trained by John M. Gaver, Sr.
John M. Gaver, Sr.
John Milton Gaver, Sr. was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Born in Mt. Airy, Maryland, John Gaver graduated from Princeton University then worked as a prep school language teacher before eventually embarking on a career in Thoroughbred racing. In 1929, James G...
Two year-old season
Racing as a two-year-old, Capot won the Champagne StakesChampagne Stakes (USA)
The Champagne Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old horses. The race is run at a distance of one mile on the dirt at Belmont Park in October each year. It is nested exclusively by colts....
, 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 DerbyKentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
as a 13-1 longshot. Ridden by Ted Atkinson
Ted Atkinson
Theodore Francis Atkinson was a Canadian-born American thoroughbred horse racing jockey, inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1957....
in all the American Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
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
Ponder (horse)
Ponder , an American Thoroughbred racehorse, was the son of the 1944 Kentucky Derby winner, Pensive and sire of the winner of the 1956 Kentucky Derby, Needles. Ponder, himself, won the Derby in 1949...
. 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
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
. 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
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
three weeks later. His performances earned him 1949's Three-Year-Old Male Champion honors, and he shared the 1949 Horse of the Year
Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. It has been awarded since 1887 to the horse, irrespective of age, whose performance during the racing year is deemed the most outstanding....
title with Coaltown
Coaltown
Coaltown was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse of whom the New York Times said "was probably the most underrated Thoroughbred of the 20th Century."...
.
Four year-old season
At age four, Capot won major stakes races including the 1950 Pimlico SpecialPimlico Special
The Pimlico Special is an American thoroughbred horse race held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland in mid May. It is raced on dirt over a distance of 1³/16 miles . The race is currently open to horses age three and older and offers a purse of $250,000.The Pimlico Special was first run in...
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
Citation
Broadly, a citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source . More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression Broadly, a citation is a reference to a published or unpublished source (not always the original source). More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated...
, Assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and Whirlaway
Whirlaway
Whirlaway was an American champion thoroughbred racehorse.The chestnut horse was sired by English Derby winner Blenheim II, out of the broodmare Dustwhirl. Whirlaway was bred at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky....
. Later that year he also won the Wilson Stakes and finished second in the Fleetwing Handicap.