21 Facts About War Emblem

War Emblem was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2002 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and was later exported to Japan as a breeding stallion.

War Emblem's sire was Our Emblem, a stakes placed son of leading sire Mr Prospector and the undefeated mare Personal Ensign.

War Emblem had a history of bone chips in his knees and ankles, which discouraged several potential buyers.

War Emblem liked to race at the front of the field, but sometimes compromised his own chances by acting up in the starting gate.

War Emblem rebounded with a win in an allowance race to finish 2001 with a record of two wins from three starts.

War Emblem, who went off at 21-to-1 odds, took the early lead and sent sensible early fractions, then kicked away from the field in the stretch.

War Emblem beat the likes of Medaglia d'Oro ; Perfect Drift ; and Harlan's Holiday.

War Emblem then struggled with Espinoza who tried to rate the colt down the backstretch.

War Emblem broke poorly but quickly settled into second place and seemed to be running well.

War Emblem finished his career with seven wins from 13 starts and earnings of $3,491,000.

War Emblem received the Eclipse Award for champion three-year-old colt of 2002 and was a distant runner-up to Azeri in the Horse of the Year voting.

In September 2002, War Emblem was sold to the prominent Yoshida racing family of Japan for US$17.7 million to stand at stud at their renowned Shadai Stallion Station in Shiraoi, Hokkaido.

War Emblem's second year was more successful, resulting in nineteen colts and fifteen fillies born in 2005.

On June 8,2008, War Emblem was evaluated by a stallion behavior team from the University of Pennsylvania.

The measures seemed to help War Emblem in the 2009 breeding season, with a career record of 43 foals born in 2010.

However, War Emblem reverted to his old habits in 2010, only covering five of 300 mares presented to him in the season.

War Emblem was represented by his first career stakes winner in 2008 when Shonan Alba won the Kyodo News Service Hai, an 1,800 meter listed race on Tokyo Race Course's turf course.

Black Emblem later became dam of two stakes winners, Bright Emblem and Testament.

War Emblem sired Group 3 winners King's Emblem and War Tactics, and stakes winners Civil War, Danon Programmer, and Clan Emblem.

In Fall of 2015, War Emblem was pensioned from stallion duty and repatriated to the United States, where he was sent to live at Old Friends Equine Retirement in Georgetown, Kentucky.

War Emblem was found dead in his paddock at Old Friends Equine on March 11,2020, at the age of 21.