Coventry (horse)

Coventry
Sire	Negofol
Grandsire	Childwick
Dam	Sun Queen
Damsire	Rock Sand
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1922
Country	United States
Colour	Black
Breeder	Edward F. Simms
Owner	Gifford A. Cochran
Trainer	William B. Duke
Record	5: 1-1-0
Earnings	$52,825
Major wins
	Triple Crown Race wins:; Preakness Stakes (1925)

Last updated July 09, 2019

Coventry (foaled 1922 in Kentucky) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1925 edition of the Preakness Stakes.^[1]

Kentucky, officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state located in the east south-central region of the United States. Although styled as the "State of Kentucky" in the law creating it, (because in Kentucky's first constitution, the name state was used) Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth. Originally a part of Virginia, in 1792 Kentucky split from it and became the 15th state to join the Union. Kentucky is the 37th most extensive and the 26th most populous of the 50 United States.

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. Thoroughbreds are considered "hot-blooded" horses that are known for their agility, speed, and spirit.

Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic premise – to identify which of two or more horses is the fastest over a set course or distance – has been unchanged since at least classical antiquity.

Background

Coventry was bred by Edward Simms, the owner of Xalapa Farm in Paris, Kentucky, who had purchased a half interest in his sire Negofol from Louis Jean Decazes.^[2]

Edward Francis Simms was an American lawyer, oil industrialist, and owner and breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses about whom a Houston Post obituary said his career was "a saga of American accomplishment."

Xalapa Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding in Paris, Kentucky founded by William Thomas Buckner of Virginia in 1827 and passed on to a son Henry who in 1897 sold it to Confederate Col. William Erskine Simms. On his death the property was left to sons William and Edward, the latter buying out his brother's interest in 1915.

Paris, Kentucky City in Kentucky, United States

Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky, in the United States. It lies 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. It is the seat of its county and forms part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 8,553.

Consigned to the 1923 yearling auction, Coventry was sold for $25,000 to New York carpet manufacturer Gifford A. Cochran. In 1925, Coventry's training was handled by future U.S. Hall of Fame member Bill Duke, who knew the colt's breeding, having returned from France that year where he had been training Thoroughbreds since 1888. Duke had trained Coventry's sire, Negofol, for Willie Vanderbilt's racing stable and had won important races with him, including the French Derby. Back home in the United States, in 1925 Duke also trained Coventry's stable mate, a colt owned by Gifford Cochran named Flying Ebony whose ability to run extremely well on muddy racetracks resulted in his winning of the May 16 rain-soaked Kentucky Derby.

A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but, since the 20th century, synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon or polyester are often used, as these fibers are less expensive than wool. The pile usually consists of twisted tufts which are typically heat-treated to maintain their structure. The term "carpet" is often used interchangeably with the term "rug", although the term "carpet" can be applied to a floor covering that covers an entire house, whereas a "rug" is generally no bigger than a single room, and traditionally does not even span from one wall to another, and is typically not even attached as part of the floor.

Gifford A. Cochran was an American entrepreneur and sportsman from New York City. During the latter part of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, he became wealthy in the carpet making industry.

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1951 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Avenue near Saratoga race course, at which time inductions into the hall of fame began. Each spring, following the tabulation of the final votes, the announcement of new inductees is made, usually during Kentucky Derby Week in early May. The actual inductions are held in mid-August during the Saratoga race meeting.

Racing career

Coventry made just five lifetime starts, winning once. The one win came in the 1925 Preakness Stakes. Ridden by Clarence Kummer, the colt went off at the longest odds of any Preakness winner in history, paying backers $45.60 for a $2 wager.^[3] That record stood for exactly fifty years until Master Derby in 1975 paid $48.80. In his next race, the Withers Stakes at New York's Aqueduct Racetrack, Coventry broke down and was retired to stud.

The 1925 Preakness Stakes was the 50th running of the $50,000 Preakness Stakes horse race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds. The race took place on May 8, 1925 and was run 8 days before the Kentucky Derby. Ridden by Clarence Kummer, Coventry won the race by four lengths over runner-up Backbone. The race was run on a track rated fast in a final time of 1:59 0/0.

Clarence Kummer was a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey who won four American Classic Races.

Master Derby was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1975 Preakness Stakes.

Stud record

He had very limited success as a sire. Hand To Hand and Durango were his best runners, each winning a number of minor races.

Breeding

Pedigree of Coventry
Sire Negofol bay 1906	Childwick brown 1890	St. Simon	Galopin
		St. Simon	St. Angela
		Plaisanterie	Wellingtonia
		Plaisanterie	Poetess
	Nebrouze ch. 1899	Hoche	Robert the Devil
		Hoche	Hermita
		Nebuleuse	Manoel
		Nebuleuse	Navarre
Dam Sun Queen black 1909	Rock Sand brown 1900	Sainfoin	Springfield
		Sainfoin	Sanda
		Roquebrune	St. Simon
		Roquebrune	St. Marguerite
	Souriante bay 1896	Rayon d'Or	Flagelot
		Rayon d'Or	Araucaria
		Soubrette	Alarm
		Soubrette	Susan Beane

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References

↑ "Laurel Park 2016 Media Guide" (PDF). Maryland Jockey Club. 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
↑ "Holds Half Interest in Negofol". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1920-10-31. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
↑ "Coventrys Preakness a Triumph for Duke". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1925-05-11. Retrieved 2019-07-08.

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[1] "Laurel Park 2016 Media Guide" (PDF). Maryland Jockey Club. 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2019-07-08.

[2] "Holds Half Interest in Negofol". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1920-10-31. Retrieved 2019-07-08.

[3] "Coventrys Preakness a Triumph for Duke". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1925-05-11. Retrieved 2019-07-08.