Aga Khan IV, Kalanisi was out of the mare Kalamba, a daughter of Green Dancer, a Champion sire in France who was a son of the English Triple Crown winner, Nijinsky.
Shipped to the United States for the 4 November 2000 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs, under jockey Johnny Murtagh, Kalanisi won the race by defeating runner-up Quiet Resolve as well as the betting favourite Montjeu and other top international runners such as Fantastic Light, and Manndar.
It was the Aga Khan's second win of the Breeders' Cup Turf as an owner, having won with Lashkari in 1984's inaugural running.
Racing at age five, Kalanisi won two of five starts and notably was second in June's Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at England's Ascot Racecourse.
[2] The 'Kalanisi Building' at the Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, England, was named in Kalanisi's honour on 4 August 2010.