Chou Croute could carry her speed up to 9 furlongs, but sprinting was her forte and neither males or females gave her pause when she strode into combat. The American champion sprinter of 1972, she was a much better racer than broodmare.
Race record
28 starts, 18 wins, 2 seconds, 3 thirds, US$284,662
1971:
1972:
1973:
Honors
Assessments
Rated at 118 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old females of 1971, 8 pounds below champion Turkish Trousers.
Highweighted at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older females of 1972, 1 pound above second-rated Convenience.
As an individual
A small, strongly coupled bay mare who stood around 15.2 hands, Chou Croute had a deep girth, short cannons, and a long, sloping pelvis. She had a strong, straight hind leg and had strong muscling extending well down into her forearms and gaskins. She could carry her speed up to 9 furlongs, was an excellent weight carrier, and was extremely determined when set down for a drive. She could take the lead from the start or be rated off the pace. Her action was somewhat choppy due to an arthritic shoulder. She bled once as a 3-year-old and was treated with a diuretic afterward. She had a dominant disposition and was especially territorial about her stall.
As a producer
Chou Croute produced eight named foals; all eight started and seven won. After producing five foals in her first six years in the paddocks, she was hampered by frequent barrenness during the remainder of her broodmare career. Her only foal of any significance was the winning Dance Spell mare Encore Cherie, dam of stakes winner Repeat Royalty (by Zuppardo’s Prince; dam of multiple listed stakes winner Sutter Sutter, by Sutter’s Prospect).
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Chou Croute was bred by E. V. “Tony” Benjamin III and William G. Clark. She was owned by Benjamin in partnership with Folsom Farm (Merrick Jones Jr., San Israel Jr., and Isidore Newman II). She was trained by Robert “Bob” Dunham. During her championship season, she was ridden by Robert “Bobby” Kotenko through early August and by John Rotz for the rest of the year; Rotz also rode her as a 5-year-old. Chou Croute spent her broodmare career as the property of Pinewood Stable.
Pedigree notes
Chou Croute is outcrossed through five generations. She is a full sister to Soubriquet, dam of Grade 3 winner Templar Hill (by Temperence Hill). She is a half sister to juvenile stakes winner Pretty Nurse (by Run for Nurse). In addition, Chou Croute is a half sister to La Fantastique (by Le Fabuleux), dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Nastique (by Naskra) and restricted stakes winner Dactique (by D’Accord); second dam of 1966 J&B Met (SAF-G1) winner La Fabulous, Grade 2 winner Transient Trend, and Grade 3 winners Solo Survivor and Thunder Kitten; and third dam of 2014 Singapore Horse of the Year War Affair, 2014 Mexican champion 2-year-old filly Heakabu, 2001 Gold Medallion Stakes (SAF-G1) winner Rip Curl, Grade/Group 2 winners Michita and Skylighter, and Irish Group 3 winner Cat O’Mountain.
Chou Croute and her siblings are out of stakes winner Witherite, whose sire Ky. Colonel (by Balladier) won the 1949 Sheridan Handicap in world record-setting time for 7 furlongs but is best known as the sire of White Beauty, the foundation mare for a family of white Thoroughbreds. Witherite is a half sister to 1955 Joliet Stakes winner Tiger Wander (by Tiger) and to Why Wander (by Grand Admiral), dam of stakes winner Why Dis (by Distillate). Witherite is also a half sister to Tiwan (by Tiger), second dam of Panamanian Group 3 winner Mammy’s Joe.
Witherite is out of the unplaced Eight Thirty mare Whither Wander, whose dam Goosie Gander (by Pennant) is a half sister to Goose Cry (by Royal Minstrel), dam of multiple juvenile stakes winner Tweet’s Boy (by Easy Mon). The next dam in Chou Croute’s tail-female line, the claiming stakes winner Gosling (by St. Germans), is out of 1924 Futurity Stakes winner Mother Goose and is a half sister to Arbitrator (by Peace Chance), dam of 1946 Will Rogers Handicap winner Burra Sahib, 1954 Test Stakes winner Dispute, and 1950 Vineland Handicap winner Almahmoud, all by Mahmoud.
Fun facts
Last updated: January 21, 2022
Race record
28 starts, 18 wins, 2 seconds, 3 thirds, US$284,662
1971:
- Won Spinster Stakes (USA, 9FD, Keeneland)
- 3rd Jasmine Stakes (first division) (USA, 6FD, Hialeah)
1972:
- Won New Year's Handicap (USA, 6FD, Tropical Park)
- Won Fall Highweight Handicap (USA, 6FD, Belmont)
- Won Fayette Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Keeneland)
- Won Susquehanna Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Liberty Bell)
- Won Las Flores Handicap (December) (USA, 6FD, Santa Anita)
- Won Vagrancy Handicap (USA, 7FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Spinster Stakes (USA, 9FD, Keeneland)
- 2nd Molly Pitcher Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Monmouth)
- 3rd Regret Handicap (USA, 6FD, Monmouth)
- 3rd Beldame Stakes (USA, 9FD, Belmont)
1973:
- Won Santa Monica Handicap (USA-G2, 7FD, Santa Anita)
Honors
- Fair Grounds Hall of Fame (inducted in 2001)
- Eclipse Award, American champion older sprinter (1972)
Assessments
Rated at 118 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old females of 1971, 8 pounds below champion Turkish Trousers.
Highweighted at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older females of 1972, 1 pound above second-rated Convenience.
As an individual
A small, strongly coupled bay mare who stood around 15.2 hands, Chou Croute had a deep girth, short cannons, and a long, sloping pelvis. She had a strong, straight hind leg and had strong muscling extending well down into her forearms and gaskins. She could carry her speed up to 9 furlongs, was an excellent weight carrier, and was extremely determined when set down for a drive. She could take the lead from the start or be rated off the pace. Her action was somewhat choppy due to an arthritic shoulder. She bled once as a 3-year-old and was treated with a diuretic afterward. She had a dominant disposition and was especially territorial about her stall.
As a producer
Chou Croute produced eight named foals; all eight started and seven won. After producing five foals in her first six years in the paddocks, she was hampered by frequent barrenness during the remainder of her broodmare career. Her only foal of any significance was the winning Dance Spell mare Encore Cherie, dam of stakes winner Repeat Royalty (by Zuppardo’s Prince; dam of multiple listed stakes winner Sutter Sutter, by Sutter’s Prospect).
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Chou Croute was bred by E. V. “Tony” Benjamin III and William G. Clark. She was owned by Benjamin in partnership with Folsom Farm (Merrick Jones Jr., San Israel Jr., and Isidore Newman II). She was trained by Robert “Bob” Dunham. During her championship season, she was ridden by Robert “Bobby” Kotenko through early August and by John Rotz for the rest of the year; Rotz also rode her as a 5-year-old. Chou Croute spent her broodmare career as the property of Pinewood Stable.
Pedigree notes
Chou Croute is outcrossed through five generations. She is a full sister to Soubriquet, dam of Grade 3 winner Templar Hill (by Temperence Hill). She is a half sister to juvenile stakes winner Pretty Nurse (by Run for Nurse). In addition, Chou Croute is a half sister to La Fantastique (by Le Fabuleux), dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Nastique (by Naskra) and restricted stakes winner Dactique (by D’Accord); second dam of 1966 J&B Met (SAF-G1) winner La Fabulous, Grade 2 winner Transient Trend, and Grade 3 winners Solo Survivor and Thunder Kitten; and third dam of 2014 Singapore Horse of the Year War Affair, 2014 Mexican champion 2-year-old filly Heakabu, 2001 Gold Medallion Stakes (SAF-G1) winner Rip Curl, Grade/Group 2 winners Michita and Skylighter, and Irish Group 3 winner Cat O’Mountain.
Chou Croute and her siblings are out of stakes winner Witherite, whose sire Ky. Colonel (by Balladier) won the 1949 Sheridan Handicap in world record-setting time for 7 furlongs but is best known as the sire of White Beauty, the foundation mare for a family of white Thoroughbreds. Witherite is a half sister to 1955 Joliet Stakes winner Tiger Wander (by Tiger) and to Why Wander (by Grand Admiral), dam of stakes winner Why Dis (by Distillate). Witherite is also a half sister to Tiwan (by Tiger), second dam of Panamanian Group 3 winner Mammy’s Joe.
Witherite is out of the unplaced Eight Thirty mare Whither Wander, whose dam Goosie Gander (by Pennant) is a half sister to Goose Cry (by Royal Minstrel), dam of multiple juvenile stakes winner Tweet’s Boy (by Easy Mon). The next dam in Chou Croute’s tail-female line, the claiming stakes winner Gosling (by St. Germans), is out of 1924 Futurity Stakes winner Mother Goose and is a half sister to Arbitrator (by Peace Chance), dam of 1946 Will Rogers Handicap winner Burra Sahib, 1954 Test Stakes winner Dispute, and 1950 Vineland Handicap winner Almahmoud, all by Mahmoud.
Fun facts
- “Choucroute” is a dish of pickled cabbage cooked in wine and is the French equivalent to the Gernan sauerkraut. It is most commonly used as a side dish, an additive to salads, or a condiment.
- Witherite, the dam of Chou Croute, failed to produce a foal during her first two seasons in the paddocks and came into the possession of Benjamin and Clark after they traded her previous owner two yearlings for her. She then produced two foals (stakes-placed Walking Stick and stakes winner Pretty Nurse) and was bred to the then-unproven Lt. Stevens in 1967 solely because her owners had a free season to him. The result was Chou Croute.
- At points during her 3-year-old season, Chou Croute had an unusually high-profile hot-walker. He was Billy Kilmer, a friend of Bob Dunham’s who was then the quarterback of the Washington Redskins (now the Washington Football Team) and previously the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints.
- Chou Croute was the namesake for a stakes at the Fair Grounds.
Last updated: January 21, 2022