Cougar II (CHI)
October 16, 1966 – June 11, 1989
Tale of Two Cities (GB) x Cindy Lou (CHI), by Madara (IRE)
Family 7
October 16, 1966 – June 11, 1989
Tale of Two Cities (GB) x Cindy Lou (CHI), by Madara (IRE)
Family 7
Just below the best of his crop at 3 in his native Chile, Cougar II blossomed after being imported to the United States by Joe Hernandez in the summer of 1970. A top runner on both dirt and turf, he endeared himself to California racing fans with his personality as well as his talent. Inquisitive to the point that he would stop in the middle of a post parade to stare at something that caught his attention, he would also stop and wheel to face the crowd repeatedly, drawing cheers each time. Nonetheless, he was all business and a game and determined stretch runner when the gates flew open. He became a useful sire after his retirement from racing.
Race record
50 starts, 20 wins, 7 seconds, 17 thirds, US$1,162,725 (including converted foreign earnings)
1970:
1971:
1972:
1973:
Honors
Assessments
Rated at 120 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American turf males of 1970, 12 pounds below highweighted Fort Marcy.
Rated at 128 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American older males of 1971, 4 pounds below highweighted Ack Ack.
Highweighted at 128 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American turf males of 1972, 3 pounds above second-rated Droll Role.
Highweighted at 128 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American turf males of 1973, 2 pounds above second-rated Tentam. (The official champion turf male of 1973, American Horse of the Year Secretariat, was rated at 136 pounds on the Free Handicap for 3-year-old males.)
As an individual
Registered in the United States as a dark bay or brown, Cougar II was a tall, elegant horse of refined make. He had a beautiful head with large eyes and had an excellent shoulder. His topline sloped downward from his withers to his quarters. He had a splash of white on the right side of his barrel. He was a kindly if quirky horse to handle in the barn and a good doer. His action was high in front and he did not handle off tracks or soft turf well. He had a long stride and was noted for his powerful closing drives. He had a habit of diving for the rail after circling his field, a quirk which cost him his victory in the 1971 Woodward Stakes as he was set down for interfering with Tinajero.
As a stallion
According to records maintained by The Jockey Club, Cougar II sired 277 winners (59.3%) and 24 stakes winners (5.1%) from 467 named foals.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Notable progeny
Exploded (USA), Gato del Sol (USA), Milingo (USA)
Connections
Cougar II was bred by Haras General Cruz and was owned by Stud Enano. He was trained by Alvaro Breque while in Chile. He was imported to California by Santa Anita track announcer Joe Hernandez, who raced Cougar II in the name of his Perla de Chico Stud with G. A. Riley as trainer. Following his fourth American start, Cougar II was purchased by Mary Florsheim Jones (known as Mary Jones Bradley following her remarriage) for US$125,000 and was trained by Charlie Whittingham. He entered stud in Kentucky at Spendthrift Farm in 1974. He later moved to Stone Farm, where he died of a ruptured stomach in 1989.
Pedigree notes
Sired by multiple English/Irish stakes winner and two-time Chilean champion sire Tale of Two Cities (by 1944 St. Leger Stakes winner Tehran), Cougar II is inbred 4x4 to 1925 St. Leger Stakes winner Solario, 5x5x5 to 1918 English Triple Crown winner Gainsborough and 5x5 to two-time leading English sire Phalaris. He is a full brother to Chilean stakes winner Capitel and to Codegua, dam of Premio St. Leger (CHI-G1) winner Cayaqui and Chilean Group 2-placed stakes winner Coraje (both by April Fool). He is also a full brother to Castiline, dam of 1982 Yellow Ribbon Invitational Stakes (USA-G1) winner Castilla (by Bold Reason) and third dam of Australian Group 3 winner Shining Path. In addition, Cougar II is a full brother to Conciliacion, dam of stakes winner Cosmotron (by Prove Out).
Cougar II's dam Cindy Lou II is by Royal Charger's full brother Madara and is a half sister to Taormina (by Bergerac II), a stakes winner in Colombia and dam of multiple Colombian stakes winner Tambori (by Full Dress). The sisters were produced from Maria Bonita (by two-time Chilean champion sire Afghan II, by Mahmoud) and were in turn produced from Las Palmas, whose sire Picacero won the 1915 Polla de Potrillos (Argentine Two Thousand Guineas) and was a champion sire and broodmare sire in Argentina.
Books and media
Following Cougar II's retirement, Mrs. Bradley commissioned a documentary of her champion from Joe Burnham. Narrated by John Forsythe and showing footage from 11 of the horse's races, the film was never sold commercially, but Mrs. Bradley gave away many copies to her friends and Cougar II's fans.
Fun facts
Acknowledgements and photo credit
American Classic Pedigrees thanks Mike Sekulic for his help with researching this profile and for supplying a 1973 photograph of Cougar II at Hollywood Park which was taken by Bill Mochon and given to Sekulic as a gift (used by permission).
Last updated: October 18, 2022
Race record
50 starts, 20 wins, 7 seconds, 17 thirds, US$1,162,725 (including converted foreign earnings)
1970:
- Won Cabrillo Handicap (USA, 10FD, Del Mar; new track record 1:58)
- Won Escondido Handicap (USA, 9FT, Del Mar; new course record 1:49)
- Won Premio Republica del Paraguay (CHI, 2000mD, Hipodromo Chile)
- Won Premio Municipal de Vina del Mar (CHI, 2100mT, Valparaiso)
- Won Premio Thompson Mathews (CHI, 2100mT, Valparaiso)
- 2nd Del Mar Handicap (USA, 11FT, Del Mar)
- 3rd Manhattan Handicap (USA, 11FT, Belmont)
- 3rd Oak Tree Stakes (USA, 12FT, Santa Anita)
- 3rd El Derby (CHI, 2400mT, Valparaiso)
- 3rd Premio Juan S. Jackson (CHI, 2200mT, Valparaiso)
1971:
- Won San Gabriel Handicap (USA, 9FT, Santa Anita)
- Won San Marcos Handicap (USA, 10FT, Santa Anita)
- Won San Juan Capistrano Handicap (USA, about 14FT, Santa Anita)
- Won Californian Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Hollywood)
- Won Invitational Turf Handicap (USA, 12FT, Hollywood)
- Won Oak Tree Invitational Stakes (USA, 12FT, Santa Anita)
- 2nd San Luis Obispo Handicap (USA, 12FT, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Sunset Handicap (USA, 16FT, Hollywood)
- 2nd Santa Anita Handicap (USA, 10FD, Santa Anita)
- 3rd Century Handicap (USA, 11FT, Hollywood; from fourth by disqualification)
- 3rd Woodward Stakes (USA, 10FD, Belmont, disqualified from first)
1972:
- Won Century Handicap (USA, 11FT, Hollywood; new American record 2:11)
- Won Californian Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Hollywood)
- Won Carleton F. Burke Handicap (USA, 10FT, Santa Anita)
- Won Oak Tree Invitational Handicap (USA, 12FT, Santa Anita)
- 2nd San Pasqual Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Santa Anita Handicap (USA, 10FD, Santa Anita)
- 2nd San Juan Capistrano Handicap (USA, about 14FT, Santa Anita)
- 3rd San Antonio Handicap (USA, 9FD, Santa Anita)
- 3rd Invitational Turf Handicap (USA, 12FT, Hollywood)
1973:
- Won Santa Anita Handicap (USA-G1, 10FD, Santa Anita)
- Won Century Handicap (USA-G1, 11FT, Hollywood)
- Won Sunset Handicap (USA-G1, 12FT, Hollywood)
- 3rd San Luis Rey Stakes (USA-G1, 12FT, Santa Anita)
- 3rd San Juan Capistrano Handicap (USA-G1, about 14FT, Santa Anita)
- 3rd Hollywood Invitational Handicap (USA-G1, 12FT, Hollywood)
- 3rd Hollywood Gold Cup Invitational (USA-G1, 10FD, Hollywood)
- 3rd Woodward Stakes (USA-G1, 12FD, Belmont)
- 3rd Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap (USA, 9FD, Belmont)
Honors
- National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 2006)
- Arcadia Historical Society's Racing Walk of Champions (inducted as part of the inaugural class in 2014)
- Eclipse Award, American champion turf horse (1972)
Assessments
Rated at 120 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American turf males of 1970, 12 pounds below highweighted Fort Marcy.
Rated at 128 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American older males of 1971, 4 pounds below highweighted Ack Ack.
Highweighted at 128 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American turf males of 1972, 3 pounds above second-rated Droll Role.
Highweighted at 128 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American turf males of 1973, 2 pounds above second-rated Tentam. (The official champion turf male of 1973, American Horse of the Year Secretariat, was rated at 136 pounds on the Free Handicap for 3-year-old males.)
As an individual
Registered in the United States as a dark bay or brown, Cougar II was a tall, elegant horse of refined make. He had a beautiful head with large eyes and had an excellent shoulder. His topline sloped downward from his withers to his quarters. He had a splash of white on the right side of his barrel. He was a kindly if quirky horse to handle in the barn and a good doer. His action was high in front and he did not handle off tracks or soft turf well. He had a long stride and was noted for his powerful closing drives. He had a habit of diving for the rail after circling his field, a quirk which cost him his victory in the 1971 Woodward Stakes as he was set down for interfering with Tinajero.
As a stallion
According to records maintained by The Jockey Club, Cougar II sired 277 winners (59.3%) and 24 stakes winners (5.1%) from 467 named foals.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- 7th on the American general sire list in 1982.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- 8th on the American general sire list in 1982.
Notable progeny
Exploded (USA), Gato del Sol (USA), Milingo (USA)
Connections
Cougar II was bred by Haras General Cruz and was owned by Stud Enano. He was trained by Alvaro Breque while in Chile. He was imported to California by Santa Anita track announcer Joe Hernandez, who raced Cougar II in the name of his Perla de Chico Stud with G. A. Riley as trainer. Following his fourth American start, Cougar II was purchased by Mary Florsheim Jones (known as Mary Jones Bradley following her remarriage) for US$125,000 and was trained by Charlie Whittingham. He entered stud in Kentucky at Spendthrift Farm in 1974. He later moved to Stone Farm, where he died of a ruptured stomach in 1989.
Pedigree notes
Sired by multiple English/Irish stakes winner and two-time Chilean champion sire Tale of Two Cities (by 1944 St. Leger Stakes winner Tehran), Cougar II is inbred 4x4 to 1925 St. Leger Stakes winner Solario, 5x5x5 to 1918 English Triple Crown winner Gainsborough and 5x5 to two-time leading English sire Phalaris. He is a full brother to Chilean stakes winner Capitel and to Codegua, dam of Premio St. Leger (CHI-G1) winner Cayaqui and Chilean Group 2-placed stakes winner Coraje (both by April Fool). He is also a full brother to Castiline, dam of 1982 Yellow Ribbon Invitational Stakes (USA-G1) winner Castilla (by Bold Reason) and third dam of Australian Group 3 winner Shining Path. In addition, Cougar II is a full brother to Conciliacion, dam of stakes winner Cosmotron (by Prove Out).
Cougar II's dam Cindy Lou II is by Royal Charger's full brother Madara and is a half sister to Taormina (by Bergerac II), a stakes winner in Colombia and dam of multiple Colombian stakes winner Tambori (by Full Dress). The sisters were produced from Maria Bonita (by two-time Chilean champion sire Afghan II, by Mahmoud) and were in turn produced from Las Palmas, whose sire Picacero won the 1915 Polla de Potrillos (Argentine Two Thousand Guineas) and was a champion sire and broodmare sire in Argentina.
Books and media
Following Cougar II's retirement, Mrs. Bradley commissioned a documentary of her champion from Joe Burnham. Narrated by John Forsythe and showing footage from 11 of the horse's races, the film was never sold commercially, but Mrs. Bradley gave away many copies to her friends and Cougar II's fans.
Fun facts
- The owner of a bloodstock agency that had ties in South America, Joe Hernandez got the opportunity to buy Cougar II because of Chile's political instability, as the horse's Chilean owners feared a possible Communist coup.
- Cougar II was known to his many fans as the “Big Cat.” He was so popular in southern California that racing fans referred to the region as "Big Cat Country."
- When Cougar II raced at Santa Anita, his fans would routinely put up banners in the infield that read "Go Cougar Go."
- With his victory in the Century Handicap on May 5, 1973, Cougar II became the 11th Thoroughbred to go over US$1 million in career earnings and the first horse bred outside North America to do so while racing in the United States. He retired at eighth on the all-time earnings list.
- Like Whirlaway, Cougar II customarily raced with his tail left very long, nearly touching the ground.
- Del Mar renamed its Escondido Handicap in Cougar II's honor in 2007. The 1-1/2 mile Grade 3 stakes for horses aged 3 and up is run on the main track.
Acknowledgements and photo credit
American Classic Pedigrees thanks Mike Sekulic for his help with researching this profile and for supplying a 1973 photograph of Cougar II at Hollywood Park which was taken by Bill Mochon and given to Sekulic as a gift (used by permission).
Last updated: October 18, 2022