Chief Bearhart

Chief Bearhart
Chief Bearhart
Sire	Chief's Crown
Grandsire	Danzig
Dam	Amelia Bearhart
Damsire	Bold Hour
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1993
Country	Canada
Colour	Chestnut
Breeder	Richard D. Maynard
Owner	Sam-Son Farm
Trainer	Mark Frostad
Record	26: 12-5-3
Earnings	$3,381,557
Major wins
	Elkhorn Stakes (1997); King Edward Breeders' Cup Stakes (1997); Canadian International Stakes (1997); Sky Classic Stakes (1997, 1998); Niagara Breeders' Cup Turf Handicap (1998); Manhattan Handicap (1998); ; Canadian Classic Race wins:; Breeders' Stakes (1996); ; Breeders' Cup wins:; Breeders' Cup Turf (1997);
Awards
	American Champion Male Turf Horse (1997); Canadian Male Turf Champion (1996, 1997, 1998); Canadian Champion Older Male Horse (1997); Canadian Horse of the Year (1997, 1998);
Honours
	Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (2002); Chief Bearhart Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack;

Chief Bearhart (February 1, 1993 – September 18, 2012) was a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A turf specialist, he won six Sovereign Awards and was voted American Champion Male Turf Horse for 1997.

Background[edit]

Chief Bearheart was bred by Richard D. Maynard and sired by Chief's Crown out of the mare Amelia Bearhart by Bold Hour. His grandsire was Danzig. He was owned by Sam-Son Farm of Milton, Ontario and was trained by Mark Frostad.

Racing career[edit]

In 1995, at age two, injuries kept Chief Bearhart out of all but one race. At age 3, he had only modest success until his trainer switched him from racing on dirt tracks to racing on turf. He then won the 1996 Breeders' Stakes, the final and only leg on grass of the Canadian Triple Crown. On July 25, 1996, Chief Bearhart won an allowance race of about a mile and three-eighths on turf at Woodbine Racetrack in a track record time of 2:16 flat.

Popular with racing fans because he almost always came from well back in the field, in 1997 Chief Bearhart blossomed into a star. Ridden by José A. Santos he won five of seven races with two second-place finishes. Among his wins were the prestigious Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack and at Hollywood Park Racetrack in the United States he won the Breeders' Cup Turf by a half length. For his 1997 performances, Chief Bearhart earned more than $2 million in purses and was voted the Sovereign Award for Horse of the Year and the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Male Turf Horse.

Racing at age five, in 1998 Chief Bearhart won his second Canadian "Horse of the Year" title after winning the Niagara Breeders' Cup Handicap, the Sky Classic Handicap and setting a course record in winning the Grade I Manhattan Handicap. He was retired after the 1998 racing season^[1] and in 2002 was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

Stud career[edit]

Chief Bearhart stood at stud at the Shizunai Stallion Station in Japan. He sired six stakes winners for 10 stakes wins.^[2] He died of heart failure on September 18, 2012.^[3]

Pedigree[edit]

Pedigree of Chief Bearhart ^[4]^[5]
Sire Chief's Crown	Danzig	Northern Dancer	Nearctic
		Northern Dancer	Natalma
		Pas De Nom	Admiral's Voyage
		Pas De Nom	Petitioner
	Six Crowns	Secretariat	Bold Ruler
		Secretariat	Somethingroyal
		Chris Evert	Swoon's Son
		Chris Evert	Miss Carmie
Dam Amelia Bearhart	Bold Hour	Bold Ruler	Nasrullah
		Bold Ruler	Miss Disco
		Seven Thirty	Mr. Music
		Seven Thirty	Time To Dine
	Myrtlewood Lass	Ribot	Tenerani
		Ribot	Romanella
		Gold Digger	Nashua
		Gold Digger	Sequence

References[edit]

^ Durso, Joseph (August 16, 1998). "HORSE RACING; Pace Hurts Chief Bearhart, And Cetewayo Gets Victory". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
^ "Chief Bearhart (CAN) 1993". Australian Stud Book. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
^ Tallon, Bill (September 18, 2012). "Two-time Canadian Horse of the Year Chief Bearhart dies at 19". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
^ "Chief Bearhart pedigree". equineline.com. May 8, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
^ "Chief Bearhart Horse Pedigree and racing Stats". Pedigree Query. Retrieved October 11, 2022.

External links[edit]

Chief Bearheart - 1997 Breeders Cup Turf (Partial) via YouTube

[Durso1998-1] Durso, Joseph (August 16, 1998). "HORSE RACING; Pace Hurts Chief Bearhart, And Cetewayo Gets Victory". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2022.

[Studbook-2] "Chief Bearhart (CAN) 1993". Australian Stud Book. Retrieved October 11, 2022.

[Tallon2012-3] Tallon, Bill (September 18, 2012). "Two-time Canadian Horse of the Year Chief Bearhart dies at 19". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved September 22, 2012.

[equineline-4] "Chief Bearhart pedigree". equineline.com. May 8, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2012.

[PedigreeQuery-5] "Chief Bearhart Horse Pedigree and racing Stats". Pedigree Query. Retrieved October 11, 2022.

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