Cherokee Colony (Pleasant Colony) died Friday at University of California
Davis Veterinary Hospital from a ruptured duodem.
The 19-year-old stallion posted two graded wins during his three-year long
career — the 1988 Flamingo S. (G1) and 1989 San Carlos H. (G2) — and placed in
three others, including the 1997 Young America S. (G1) and 1988 Wood Memorial
Invitational (G1). He retired to stud with a 11-3-3-2 lifetime mark and $474,380
in earnings.
From 13 crops, Cherokee Colony showed a 57 percent win rate from his progeny
and a 74 percent win rate from his starting foals. He sired eight stakes
winners, including multiple black-type scorer Tucumcari, and another one of his
foals, Cherokeeinthehills, recently made a successful transition to steeplechase
stakes victor when taking the U.S. Champions Supreme Hurdle (NSA-G1). That one
started his career on the flat and even ran third in the 2000 Pennsylvania Derby
(G3).
Cherokee Colony also left his mark as a broodmare sire. Among his daughters
were Cherokee Crossing, dam of Grade 1 winner and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1)
third-place finisher Siphonic (Siphon [Brz]); Patelin’s Legacy, the dam of
recent Anne Arundel S. (G3) winner Essence (Gulch); and Cherokee Wonder, who
captured two stakes during her career before going on to produce multiple stakes
hero Cherokee’s Boy
Cherokee Colony stood the 2004 season at Blooming Hills near Clements,
California, for a $2,500 live foal fee.