NEWS
Champion Pleasant Colony pensioned
Posted: Thursday, April 06, 2000
Champion and dual classic winner Pleasant Colony has been pensioned after not covering any mares this season at William S. Farish's Lane's End near Versailles, Kentucky. No determination has been made where the 22-year-old son of His Majesty out of Sun Colony, by Sunrise Flight, will be located during his retirement, the farm said in a written statement.The decision to pension Pleasant Colony was made due to a "condition which has prevented him from successfully covering any mares during this year's breeding season," the statement said. Pleasant Colony was scheduled to stand the 2000 season for an advertised fee of $75,000.
Pleasant Colony has sired 65 stakes winners, including 27 group or graded winners and champions Pleasant Tap, St. Jovite, Pleasant Stage, and Colonial U.S. He has also sired 1993 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Colonial Affair and major stakes winners Behrens, Sir Beaufort, Shared Interest, Pleasant Variety, Colonial Waters, and Roanoke.
Pleasant Colony, who has sired a remarkable 12% stakes winners from his foals of racing age, has lifetime progeny earnings of $43,150,220, with average earnings per starter of $110,359. He will be represented this year by 35 two-year-olds and 53 yearlings.
Pleasant Tap, who stands at Lane's End, won 9-of-32 career starts, including the 1992 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) and Suburban Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park, for $2,721,169 in earnings. He finished second behind three-year-old A. P. Indy in the 1992 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), securing the Eclipse Award as champion handicap male.
Behrens is currently one of North America's top handicap runners. Second last time out in the $6-million Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1), the six-year-old horse has won 9-of-23 career starts, including three Grade 1 events, for $4,259,000 in earnings.
Bred in Virginia by the late Thomas M. Evans, Pleasant Colony won 6-of-14 career starts and earned $965,383. He was named champion three-year-old colt in 1981 after victories in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Preakness Stakes (G1), Woodward Stakes (G1), and Wood Memorial Stakes (G1).--Tom Law
