Cozzene (May 8, 1980 – October 7, 2008) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse and outstanding sire. He was bred and raced by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee John A. Nerud and trained by his son, Jan.
Cozzene began racing at age three, winning three of six starts. At age four he won three more races from ten starts and ran third in the Breeders' Cup Mile. In 1985, the then five-year-old Cozzene had his best year in racing with wins in won four of eight starts. The previous year, in the inaugural running of the Breeders' Cup Mile at Hollywood Park Racetrack, Cozzene had finished third but came back to win the November 2, 1985 edition at Aqueduct Racetrack . His 1985 performances earned him the 1985 Eclipse Award for American Champion Male Turf Horse.
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Stallion Career
Retired to stud duty, in 1996 Cozzene was the Leading sire in North America and in 2002 the Leading International Sire. He stands at Gainesway Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. During his career he has sired thirty-one graded stakes winners and fourteen millionaires including:
Cozzene's Prince (b. 1987) - millionaire 1993 Canadian Champion Older Male Horse
Fearless Revival (b. 1987) - Dam of Pivotal
Star of Cozzene (b. 1988) - multiple Grade 1 winner and earner of more than $2.3 million
Environment Friend (b. 1988) - English Champion, winner of Eclipse Stakes
Tikkanen (b. 1991) - won Breeders' Cup Turf, earner of more than $1.5 million
Alphabet Soup (b. 1991) - won 1996 Breeders' Cup Classic, earned more than $2.9 million
Eishin Berlin (b. 1992) - earner of more than $3.5 million in Japan
Chorwon (b. 1993) - millionaire, won three straight runnings of the Louisville Handicap
Admire Cozzene (b. 1996) - earner of more than $3.1 million and champion in Japan
Zoftig (b.1997) - Winner of the Selene Stakes
Star Over The Bay (b. 1998) - multiple stakes winner of $917,353
Mizzen Mast (b.1998) - winner of the Malibu Stakes, Strub Stakes, and Prix de Guiche
Sire Sons
Cozzene is the grandsire of several graded stakes winners via his sons. They include:
Mizzen Mast (b.1998) is the sire of the following Grade I winners:
Mizdirection - Twice winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
Caravel - Winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint
Mast Track - Winner of the Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes
Flotilla - Winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches
Lighthouse - Winner of the Coolmore Classic
Sailor's Valentine - Winner of the Ashland Stakes
Full Mast - Winner of the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère
Midships - Winner of the Charles Whittingham Stakes
Ultimate Eagle - Winner of the Hollywood Derby
Alphabet Soup (b.1991)
Alphabet Kisses - Winner of the La Brea Stakes
Egg Drop - Winner of the Matriarch Stakes
Our New Recruit - Winner of the Dubai Golden Shaheen
Alpha Bettor - Canadian Champion Older Male Horse
Phantom Light - Canadian Champion Older Male Horse
Death
Cozzene was euthanized on October 7, 2008 at Gainesway Farm in Kentucky. The stallion had had melanoma, a disease many gray horses get, for years but it had not caused him any pain until recently.