War Chant (USA)
May 22, 1997 – April 11, 2024
Danzig (USA) x Hollywood Wildcat (USA), by Kris S. (USA)
Family 4-r
May 22, 1997 – April 11, 2024
Danzig (USA) x Hollywood Wildcat (USA), by Kris S. (USA)
Family 4-r
War Chant had only a short racing career but made his mark with a victory in the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Mile (USA-G1) after winning Grade 2 events on both dirt and turf. He was an inconsistent sire while standing in Kentucky, Chile, and Australia.
Race record
7 starts, 5 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds, US$1,130,600
2000:
Assessments
Rated at 123 pounds in the Mile category on the 2000 International Classification, 3 pounds below the top 3-year-old miler, Observatory, and 9 pounds below the top 3-year-old, Sinndar (who earned his rating in the Long category).
As an individual
A handsome dark bay or brown horse, War Chant had the muscularity and balance of his sire Danzig but also inherited offset knees and light bone. He is somewhat leggier than many of his sire’s progeny. He came out of a ninth-placed finish in the 2000 Kentucky Derby with a hairline shoulder fracture and did not return to racing until October 1, when he won the Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile Stakes in his turf debut. At his best, he possessed a sharp turn of foot. He was "a quirky devil at times" according to Yarradale stud manager Davy Hanratty but was professional and reliable in the breeding shed, enough so that he was used to help educate younger staff members in the business of handling a breeding stallion.
As a stallion
As of September 14, 2024, The Jockey Club credits War Chant with having sired 594 winners (52.1%) and 46 stakes winners (4.0%) from 1140 named foals of racing age.
Notable progeny
Chamberlain Bridge (USA), Kingsfort (USA), Midnight Interlude (USA), Pierrot Lunaire (USA), Silent Sedition (AUS)
Notable progeny of daughters
Country House (USA), Duliette (CHI), Win for the Money (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, War Chant was bred and owned by Irving and Marjorie Cowan. He was trained by Neil Drysdale and was ridden to his Breeders’ Cup Mile win by Gary Stevens. He entered stud in 2001 in Kentucky at Three Chimneys Farm and later shuttled to Haras de Pirque, Chile, and Yarradale Stud, Western Australia, Australia. Following the 2014 Northern Hemisphere season, he relocated permanently to Yarradale Stud, where he died of old age in April 2024.
Pedigree notes
War Chant is inbred 4x5 to two-time American Horse of the Year Native Dancer. He is a half brother to 2005 July Stakes (ENG-G2) winner Ivan Denisovich (by Danzig’s champion sire son Danehill), to listed stakes winner Ministers Wild Cat (by Deputy Minister), and to minor stakes winner Double Cat (by Storm Cat). He is also a half brother to Spinning Wildcat (by Danzig’s good son Hard Spun), dam of 2021 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (JPN-G1) winner Danon Smash (by Lord Kanaloa), and to Danish Wildcat (by Danehill), whose son Danish Dynaformer (by Dynaformer) won the 2015 Breeders’ Stakes (third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown) and the 2016 Singspiel Stakes (CAN-G3).
War Chant and his siblings are out of 1993 American champion 3-year-old filly Hollywood Wildcat, whose stakes-placed half sister Bald Cat (by Baldski) is the third dam of Chilean Group 2 winner Casablanca Fighter. Hollywood Wildcat, in turn, was produced from the unraced Mr. Prospector mare Miss Wildcatter, a half sister to Puerto Rican stakes winner Marirv (by Sensitivo). Miss Wildcatter is also a half sister to Sensitiv Elizabeth (by Sensitivo), dam of 1987 Gran Premio Ilustre Municipalidad de Santiago (CHI-G1) winner Triomphes (by Nobloys) and Chilean listed stakes winners War Paint (by Worldwatch) amd Estatico (by Worldwatch), second dam of Chilean Group 3 winner Weeping, and third dam of Chilean Group 2 winner Conservatorio.
Miss Wildcatter and her siblings are out of stakes-placed Elizabeth K. (by 1964 Queens County Handicap winner Third Martini, by Hasty Road), whose dam Baked Apple is a non-winning daughter of 1952 Tremont Stakes winner Hilarious (by Bimelech) out of the winner Appalachin (by 1950 Gimcrack Stakes winner Cortil). The next dam in Hollywood Wildcat’s tail-female line, Lantana (by Spy Song) is a winning half sister to 1952 Flamingo Stakes winner Charlie McAdam (by Heliopolis) and is out of Gumdrop, by Pharamond II.
Books and media
Footage of War Chant’s win in the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Mile can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ0GxPXbzxw.
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photo taken by Avalyn Hunter at Three Chimneys Farm in 2006.
Last updated: September 14, 2024
Race record
7 starts, 5 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds, US$1,130,600
2000:
- Won Breeders' Cup Mile Stakes (USA-G1, 8FT, Churchill Downs)
- Won Oak Tree Breeders' Cup Mile Stakes (USA-G2, 8FT, Santa Anita)
- Won San Rafael Stakes (USA-G2, 8FD, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Santa Anita Derby (USA-G1, 9FD, Santa Anita)
Assessments
Rated at 123 pounds in the Mile category on the 2000 International Classification, 3 pounds below the top 3-year-old miler, Observatory, and 9 pounds below the top 3-year-old, Sinndar (who earned his rating in the Long category).
As an individual
A handsome dark bay or brown horse, War Chant had the muscularity and balance of his sire Danzig but also inherited offset knees and light bone. He is somewhat leggier than many of his sire’s progeny. He came out of a ninth-placed finish in the 2000 Kentucky Derby with a hairline shoulder fracture and did not return to racing until October 1, when he won the Oak Tree Breeders’ Cup Mile Stakes in his turf debut. At his best, he possessed a sharp turn of foot. He was "a quirky devil at times" according to Yarradale stud manager Davy Hanratty but was professional and reliable in the breeding shed, enough so that he was used to help educate younger staff members in the business of handling a breeding stallion.
As a stallion
As of September 14, 2024, The Jockey Club credits War Chant with having sired 594 winners (52.1%) and 46 stakes winners (4.0%) from 1140 named foals of racing age.
Notable progeny
Chamberlain Bridge (USA), Kingsfort (USA), Midnight Interlude (USA), Pierrot Lunaire (USA), Silent Sedition (AUS)
Notable progeny of daughters
Country House (USA), Duliette (CHI), Win for the Money (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, War Chant was bred and owned by Irving and Marjorie Cowan. He was trained by Neil Drysdale and was ridden to his Breeders’ Cup Mile win by Gary Stevens. He entered stud in 2001 in Kentucky at Three Chimneys Farm and later shuttled to Haras de Pirque, Chile, and Yarradale Stud, Western Australia, Australia. Following the 2014 Northern Hemisphere season, he relocated permanently to Yarradale Stud, where he died of old age in April 2024.
Pedigree notes
War Chant is inbred 4x5 to two-time American Horse of the Year Native Dancer. He is a half brother to 2005 July Stakes (ENG-G2) winner Ivan Denisovich (by Danzig’s champion sire son Danehill), to listed stakes winner Ministers Wild Cat (by Deputy Minister), and to minor stakes winner Double Cat (by Storm Cat). He is also a half brother to Spinning Wildcat (by Danzig’s good son Hard Spun), dam of 2021 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (JPN-G1) winner Danon Smash (by Lord Kanaloa), and to Danish Wildcat (by Danehill), whose son Danish Dynaformer (by Dynaformer) won the 2015 Breeders’ Stakes (third leg of the Canadian Triple Crown) and the 2016 Singspiel Stakes (CAN-G3).
War Chant and his siblings are out of 1993 American champion 3-year-old filly Hollywood Wildcat, whose stakes-placed half sister Bald Cat (by Baldski) is the third dam of Chilean Group 2 winner Casablanca Fighter. Hollywood Wildcat, in turn, was produced from the unraced Mr. Prospector mare Miss Wildcatter, a half sister to Puerto Rican stakes winner Marirv (by Sensitivo). Miss Wildcatter is also a half sister to Sensitiv Elizabeth (by Sensitivo), dam of 1987 Gran Premio Ilustre Municipalidad de Santiago (CHI-G1) winner Triomphes (by Nobloys) and Chilean listed stakes winners War Paint (by Worldwatch) amd Estatico (by Worldwatch), second dam of Chilean Group 3 winner Weeping, and third dam of Chilean Group 2 winner Conservatorio.
Miss Wildcatter and her siblings are out of stakes-placed Elizabeth K. (by 1964 Queens County Handicap winner Third Martini, by Hasty Road), whose dam Baked Apple is a non-winning daughter of 1952 Tremont Stakes winner Hilarious (by Bimelech) out of the winner Appalachin (by 1950 Gimcrack Stakes winner Cortil). The next dam in Hollywood Wildcat’s tail-female line, Lantana (by Spy Song) is a winning half sister to 1952 Flamingo Stakes winner Charlie McAdam (by Heliopolis) and is out of Gumdrop, by Pharamond II.
Books and media
Footage of War Chant’s win in the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Mile can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ0GxPXbzxw.
Fun facts
- War Chant’s victory in the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Mile (USA-G1) made Hollywood Wildcat the second Breeders’ Cup-winning mare to produce a Breeders’ Cup winner. (Personal Ensign, winner of the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, was the first, producing 1995 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, USA-G1, winner My Flag.) War Chant continued the sequence of Breeders' Cup champions by siring 2010 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (USA-G2) winner Chamberlain Bridge.
- A turf race named in War Chant’s honor was inaugurated in 2020 at Churchill Downs.
Photo credit
Photo taken by Avalyn Hunter at Three Chimneys Farm in 2006.
Last updated: September 14, 2024