Rose Run Quest Passes

Trot Insider has learned that 71-time winner Rose Run Quest has passed away at the age of 12.

"We had turned him out with plans to get him ready for the spring," said co-owner Blair Hansen. "On January 1, he had started to colic and, unfortunately, it got to a point to where there was nothing they could do."

The gelded son of If I Can Dream-Letmedowneasy made the final of his 216 starts on Dec. 3 at Red Shores Charlottetown, a fifth-place effort against Preferred company for trainer Melissa Rennie. For his career, Rose Run Quest earned $285,355 and sported a record of 71-40-28, taking his lifetime mark at age three of 1:51.1 at Tioga Downs in 2015.

"He was really a Cinderella story," continued Hansen. "I bought him in 2017 and the first start he made in Canada was in a non-winners of $451 last five starts and he just continued to get better and stronger up here and the next year he was racing in the Gold Cup & Saucer."

Rose Run Quest raced in the Gold Cup & Saucer a total of four times between 2018 and 2021, qualifying for the final in both 2018 and 2020. That first appearance in 2018 was a career-best effort in the Gold Cup & Saucer for Rose Run Quest, who finished a strong third behind Somewhere Fancy and Rockin In Heaven for then trainer-driver Marc Campbell. Campbell was also in the bike for one of the gelding's signature victories in the $25,000 Governor's Plate in 2019.

"That's a race that stands out," said Hansen. "That's probably the second biggest race up here. That was a big one, but he had a lot of great races for us."

Known as an iron horse in the Maritimes, 60 of Rose Run Quest's wins were earned since making the move north of the border, including 13 in 2023, winning half of his seasonal outings at age 11. While a warrior on the racetrack, Rose Run Quest's demeanor off the racetrack was anything but. 

"He was just the perfect horse," said Hansen. "Everyone that had anything to do with him just loved him. In the barn, he was a pet and didn't have a mean bone in his body, but once he went behind the gate, he switched gears."

Rose Run Quest split time between the barns of Marc Campbell, Gilles Barrieau, Jason Ryan and Jeff Holmes before completing his final two seasons on the racetrack for trainer Melissa Rennie. 

"Everyone in the Maritimes had nothing but praise for the horse," continued Hansen. "He gave you everything he had every time he raced. He's not one I'll ever be able to replace."

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Rose Run Quest. 

(Standardbred Canada)