Passing Of A Legend: Aptitude And The Coastal Connection

Passing Of A Legend: Aptitude And The Coastal Connection 14 May, 2012 – Lisa Barrett

BloodHorse recently reported that Aptitude, at one-time a leading North America runner and son of A.P.Indy died at the end of April in Argentina. Aptitude was a multiple Group One and Group winner for Prince Kallid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farms in the early part of this decade. Trained by Bobby Frankel, Aptitude shone brightly as an early star, as a 3YO he ran a very creditable second to Fusaichi Pegasus in the 2000 running of the Derby. He followed this up with another runner-up performance in the Belmont Stakes (Gr.1) a few weeks later.

Some of Aptitude’s greatest success came though as a 4YO when he won two Group Ones and a Group Two in rapid succession. He first struck in the Jockey Gold Cup, where he won by an astonishing 10 lengths, and followed that up with a 4.5 length victory in the Saratoga Breeders Cup (Gr.2), and was “gifted” the Hollywood Gold Cup (Gr.1) following a disqualification. He was retired to stud in 2001 following a disappointing 8th in that year’s Breeders Cup Classic (Gr.1) with earnings of close to $2 million.

Aptitude achieved modest but impressive success at stud in North America, siring 19 Stakes winners who’ve earned over $18,4 million. Some of his best achievers in North America have been Great Hunter who won the 2006 Lane’s End Breeder’s Futurity (Gr.1), as well as Steppenwolfer, who managed an impressive 3rd in the 2006 renewal of the Kentucky Derby (Gr.1) against the iconic Barbaro. Shuttled to Argentina in 2007, he produced the Group One-winning Argentine Lange, and two-time Peruvian champion Al Qasr.

What will be of interest to many South Africans, is Aptitude’s dam, Doki, who is the half-sister to Belmont Stakes winner, and legendary Summerhill Stud resident, Coastal, who lived to the ripe old age of 29 before passing away in 2005.

Coastal was renowned for being the oldest living American Classic winner before his death in 2005. Coastal achieved his racing success and renown in America, where he foiled Spectacular Bid’s quest for the Triple Crown in 1979 with a 3 length victory in the Belmont Stakes. As if to say he was no “one-hit wonder”, Coastal then went onto capture the Dwyer Stakes (Gr.2) a month later, in the process, beating the highly rated Private Account, who went onto become a formidable sire of 61 stakes winners, himself including the undefeated mare and daughter Personal Ensign. Later in that same year, Coastal then took the Monmouth Invitational Handicap (Gr.1) by three lengths from Steady Growth, a 2 time Group 2 winner. Coastal’s later racing career turned out to be a bit of a “so near yet so far” story, he came close in numerous Group One races; the Malboro Cup Handicap, Woodward Stakes and finally the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

His American crop included his successful daughters: Little Brianne, who earned her greatest success at 6, when she won the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap and the Santa Maria Handicap (both Group Ones), on her retirement she had racked up close to $1 million in earnings, and Foxy Deen, who was a runner-up in the 1985 Kentucky Oaks (Gr.1), and winner of the Lexington Alcibiades Stakes (Gr.2) in 1984.

Another of Coastal’s great successes as a sire, came through Danger’s Hour, who went onto to win the Manhattan Handicap (Gr.1) at 4, in the end amassing earnings of $820,741. According to the American Jockey Club statistics, Coastal sired 192 winners and 19 Stakes winners from among 510 foals in 19 crops, and in total they earned him $10,498,198 in winnings.

South Africa, and KZN in particular, was fortunate enough to acquire this grandson of racing legends, Raise A Native and Buckpasser. He was shipped to Summerhill Stud in the KZN Midlands in 1988 where he stood until he was pensioned in 2003. As a broodmare sire, Coastal has the sort of success, that tended to elude him in his racing career, siring 51 Stakes winners and six champions, among them Surfing Home, the multiple Group One winner and 1995 Horse Of The Year, who went onto become a millionaire thanks to his numerous victories.

Coastal eventually passed away at the ripe old age of 29 in 2005, bringing down the curtain on a memorable racing and breeding career that spanned two hemispheres.

** Update: As if in honour of her grandsire, the 3YO filly She’s Got Gears won the second race of the day at Fairview on Friday 11th May. Her dam is Gypsey Spirit, a daughter of Coastal out of a Northern Guest mare, Signal Honour.