Underdogs in Horse Racing: Colonial Colony

Apr 22, 2024 Sara Dacus/TwinSpires.com

A week after 36-1 Birdstone surpassed Smarty Jones in the final 70 yards of the 2004 Belmont S. (G2) to wreck the favorite’s Triple Crown bid, the second-largest upset in Stephen Foster H. (G1) history took place at Churchill Downs.

Colonial Colony had experienced a dismal 12 losses in a row. He was the longest shot in the field of six older horses at 62-1 odds. The six-year-old had previously placed second in back-to-back editions of the National Jockey Club H. (G3) at Hawthorne, but the rest of his resume was fairly lackluster, including a fifth-place finish in the 2003 Stephen Foster, where he flattened out.

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The favorite in the 2004 Stephen Foster was Southern Image. He came into the race rated one of the top older horses in the country, with five consecutive wins including a trio of Grade 1 races: the Malibu S., Santa Anita H., and Pimlico Special. H. Defending Stephen Foster champion Perfect Drift, ridden by Pat Day, was also in the field.

Perhaps the sloppy track and having Rafael Bejarano in the irons, Churchill’s leading rider at the time, prompted the unexpected.

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The dark bay horse was last. Approaching the far turn, he began passing his competitors, and heading into the stretch, he was one of four horses near the lead. He engaged leader Southern Image a furlong out, lost the advantage, and rallied again to prevail by a nose in the last lunge. Colonial Colony paid $127.20 on a $2 win bet. He was the highest odds horse to win the race for two years: Seek Gold won at 91-1 odds in 2006.

The victory was the fourth graded stakes win for Churchill longtime trainer Walt Bindner, Jr. and easily his biggest in his career that dated back to 1974.

Breeder and owner Chris Nolan, who raced under the stable name of Lakeside Farms, was in Tennessee for a family function and did not attend the race.

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Following this monumental win, Colonial Colony finished fourth by a length in the Suburban H. (GI) at Belmont Park. He didn’t have any surprises left. He went winless for ten more races and retired with four wins from 40 lifetime starts.

Colonial Colony was sent to stand at Buck Pond Farm near Versailles, Ky. and then to Holden Farm in Ind. But he didn’t even experience one longshot success in this career: he sired two horses who earned money as thoroughbreds.