Crusade

Crusade (foaled 11 March 2009) is an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for his upset win in the 2011 Middle Park Stakes. He showed his best form as a juvenile when he won one minor race from his first three starts before taking the Middle Park at odds of 25/1. On his only subsequent start that year he finished sixth on dirt in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He ran poorly on his only appearance as a three-year-old and was retired to become a breeding stallion in South Africa. Background Crusade is a dark bay or brown horse with no white markings bred in Kentucky by La Traviata Syndicate, a breeding organisation associated with the Coolmore Stud. The colt was sent into training with Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle. Like many Coolmore horses, the official details of his ownership changed from race to race: he was sometimes listed as being the property of Michael Tabor, whilst on other occasions he was described as being owned by a partnership of Tabor, Derrick Smith and Susan Magnier. Crusade was sired by Mr Greeley, whose five wins included the Swale Stakes and the Lafayette Stakes and who also finished second in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. As a breeding stallion, Mr Greeley is best known as the sire of the outstanding Irish-trained filly Finsceal Beo and the Sussex Stakes winner Reel Buddy. Crusade's dam La Traviata was bought as a two-year-old at the Fasig-Tipton Calder sale in February 2006 for $1.1 million by the bloodstock agent Dermot "Demi" O'Byrne on behalf of Coolmore. She showed good form in a brief racing career, winning three of her races in the United States in 2007 including the Grade III Victory Ride Stakes. She was descended from the American broodmare Miel, making her a distant relative of Rodrigo de Triano and Shaadi. As a broodmare La Traviata went on to produce the multiple Group One winner Seventh Heaven. Racing career