Bred and raced by WinStar Farm , he was sired by Tiznow , the 2000 American Horse of the Year and a two-time winner of the Breeders ' Cup Classic . His dam is Sweet Damsel , a daughter of Turkoman , the 1986 American Champion Older Male Horse , who was a son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Alydar . Colonel John was trained by Eoin Harty . Colonel John is named for a service member who helped Bill Casner and his wife after their daughter was killed in the 2002 Bali bombings In 2008 Colonel John won the Sham Stakes and the Grade I Santa Anita Derby . His performances in these races made him an early favorite for the 2008 U.S. Triple Crown series , despite his racing experience consisting of only races on Cushion Track synthetic dirt . Ultimately , Colonel John finished 6th in the 2008 Kentucky Derby . In July , he finished third in the Swaps Stakes to Tres Barrachos and Two Step Salsa . In August , Colonel John won the Travers Stakes by a nose over Mambo in Seattle and other well-regarded contenders such as Pyro , Harlem Rocker , and Macho Again in a time of 2:03.20
2002 Bali bombings
2002 Bali bombings
Colonel John