Gato Del Sol
Gato Del Sol | |
---|---|
Sire | Cougar II |
Grandsire | Tale of Two Cities |
Dam | Peacefully |
Damsire | Jacinto |
Sex | Stallion |
Foaled | February 23, 1979[1] |
Died | August 7, 2007(2007-08-07) (aged 28) |
Country | United States |
Colour | Gray |
Breeder | Arthur B. Hancock III & Leone J. Peters |
Owner | Arthur B. Hancock III & Leone J. Peters |
Trainer | 1) Edwin J. Gregson 2) Charles E. Whittingham 3) Howard M. Tesher |
Record | 39: 7-9-7 |
Earnings | $1,340,107 |
Major wins | |
Del Mar Futurity (1981) Cabrillo Handicap (1983) Caballero Handicap (1985) American Classic Race wins: Kentucky Derby (1982) | |
Last updated on August 19, 2007 |
Gato Del Sol (February 23, 1979 – August 7, 2007) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his win in the 1982 Kentucky Derby.
Background
Gato Del Sol was a gray horse foaled at Stone Farm in Paris, Kentucky. He was sired by the Chilean horse Cougar, who enjoyed his greatest success in North America and was inducted into the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame. His dam Peacefully also produced the Prix Morny winner Tersa and was distantly related to the Melbourne Cup winner Beldale Ball.[2]
Gato Del Sol was owned and bred by Stone Farm proprietor Arthur B. Hancock III in partnership with one of his longtime clients, Manhattan real estate broker Leone J. Peters.[3] The two men also bred Risen Star, winner of the 1988 Preakness and Belmont Stakes. He was trained by Eddie Gregson.
Racing career
1981: two-year-old season
Gato Del Sol made his debut at Hollywood Park in 1981 and lost his first two races. In his third start, at Del Mar Racetrack, he won for the first time. After a third-place finish in the Balboa Stakes, he won the Del Mar Futurity.
1982: three-year-old season
In his three-year-old campaign, Gato del Sol was winless going into the Kentucky Derby but had been second in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course.
Given little chance by Churchill Downs bettors against the favored Wood Memorial Stakes winner Air Forbes Won, Gato Del Sol was sent off at odds of 21-1, the third longest in the race. He trailed the nineteen-horse field in the 1¼ mile race early but under jockey Eddie Delahoussaye began making a move after half a mile. By the mile pole, he had moved up to fifth place. He continued to gain ground as the field moved down the homestretch, with six horses spread across the track racing head-to-head. By the final furlong marker, Gato Del Sol had moved to the lead by a half-length and then pulled away to win by 2½ lengths. He paid $44.40 to win, the 10th highest payoff in Derby history.
Following his Derby win, Gato Del Sol's handlers decided to bypass the Preakness Stakes with its shorter distance. Instead, they rested their horse for the 1½ mile Belmont Stakes. Their decision marked the first time in twenty-three years that the Kentucky Derby winner did not try for the Triple Crown. Gato Del Sol finished second in the Belmont Stakes, fourteen lengths behind Henryk de Kwiatkowski's colt, Conquistador Cielo.
Gato Del Sol raced on the New York circuit for the remainder of the 1982 season. After he finished eighth in the Suburban Handicap, his training was taken over by Howard Tesher.[4] Gato Del Sol then won an allowance race at Saratoga Race Course on August 7 as a tuneup for his run in the prestigious Travers Stakes.[5] That year, the entries included each of the winners of the three American Classics. In addition to Derby winner Gato Del Sol, the competition included Preakness Stakes victor Aloma's Ruler and Belmont Stakes winner Conquistador Cielo. However, Canadian outsider Runaway Groom won, becoming the first horse in American racing history to defeat the winners of the three classics in the same race. Gato Del Sol, who finished fifth, came out of the race with an ankle injury that ended his 1982 season.
Later career
He returned to race on the West Coast in mid-May 1983. He won two of nine starts, including the Cabrillo Handicap at Del Mar Racetrack, then in 1984 was switched to running on turf. He went winless, notably finishing eighth in the 1984 Breeders' Cup Turf. In his fifth year of racing, Gato Del Sol started twice, finishing second in the Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile Stakes and winning the 1985 Caballero Handicap at Hollywood Park Racetrack, his career finale.
Retirement and stud record
Retired to stud duty at Stone Farm, Gato Del Sol had little success as a sire. He was eventually sold and in 1993 ended up at a breeding operation in Germany, where he continued to underperform. In 2000, his original co-owner, Arthur Hancock III, and his wife Staci bought Gato Del Sol back in order to eliminate any possibility that he be subjected to the same fate as another American champion, Exceller, who was killed in a Swedish slaughterhouse.
Pensioned, Gato Del Sol spent the remainder of his days on the farm where he was foaled. On August 7, 2007, he was euthanized because of health complications at the age of 28.[6]
Pedigree
Sire Cougar (CHI) 1966 | Tale of Two Cities (GB) 1951 | Tehran | Bois Roussel |
---|---|---|---|
Stafaralla | |||
Merida | Jock | ||
Torissima | |||
Cindy Lou (CHI) 1955 | Madara | Nearco | |
Sun Princess | |||
Maria Bonita | Afghan | ||
Las Palmas | |||
Dam Peacefully (USA) 1973 | Jacinto (USA) 1962 | Bold Ruler | Nasrullah |
Miss Disco | |||
Cascade | Precipitation | ||
Marita | |||
Morning Calm (USA) 1962 | Hail To Reason | Turn-To | |
Nothirdchance | |||
Yellow Mist | Hierocles | ||
Silver Fog (Family: A1)[2] |
References
- ^ a b "Gato Del Sol pedigree". Equineline.
- ^ a b "Janus Mare Number 1 - Family A1". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
- ^ "Leone Peters, 76, Dies; Real-Estate Chairman". The New York Times. 7 June 1988.
- ^ Los Angeles Times – July 16, 1982
- ^ Miami News – August 7, 1982
- ^ Lowe, Jeff (2007-08-08). "Kentucky Derby winner Gato Del Sol euthanized at 28". Thoroughbred Times. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-08-09.
- Stone Farm tribute to Gato Del Sol
- Gato Del Sol's Kentucky Derby details and video at the Churchill Downs official Derby website
Trivia
- Not only was Gato del Sol the first Derby winner for Arthur Hancock III, he was the first Derby winner owned by a member of the famed Hancock family of Claiborne Farm, whose business was primarily breeding. Arthur later won a second Derby title as owner of Sunday Silence.
- Stone Farm is a sponsor of the University of Kentucky Solar Car Team, with Gato Del Sol serving as the namesake for the team's solar-powered cars.
- Gato Del Sol was the partial namesake of Gastr Del Sol; Post Rock outfit headed by Louisville native David Grubbs.
- v
- t
- e
- 1875 Aristides
- 1876 Vagrant
- 1877 Baden-Baden
- 1878 Day Star
- 1879 Lord Murphy
- 1880 Fonso
- 1881 Hindoo
- 1882 Apollo
- 1883 Leonatus
- 1884 Buchanan
- 1885 Joe Cotton
- 1886 Ben Ali
- 1887 Montrose
- 1888 Macbeth II
- 1889 Spokane
- 1890 Riley
- 1891 Kingman
- 1892 Azra
- 1893 Lookout
- 1894 Chant
- 1895 Halma
- 1896 Ben Brush
- 1897 Typhoon II
- 1898 Plaudit
- 1899 Manuel
- 1900 Lieut. Gibson
- 1901 His Eminence
- 1902 Alan-a-Dale
- 1903 Judge Himes
- 1904 Elwood
- 1905 Agile
- 1906 Sir Huon
- 1907 Pink Star
- 1908 Stone Street
- 1909 Wintergreen
- 1910 Donau
- 1911 Meridian
- 1912 Worth
- 1913 Donerail
- 1914 Old Rosebud
- 1915 Regret ♥
- 1916 George Smith
- 1917 Omar Khayyam
- 1918 Exterminator
- 1919 Sir Barton ₩
- 1920 Paul Jones
- 1921 Behave Yourself
- 1922 Morvich
- 1923 Zev
- 1924 Black Gold
- 1925 Flying Ebony
- 1926 Bubbling Over
- 1927 Whiskery
- 1928 Reigh Count
- 1929 Clyde Van Dusen
- 1930 Gallant Fox ₩
- 1931 Twenty Grand
- 1932 Burgoo King
- 1933 Brokers Tip
- 1934 Cavalcade
- 1935 Omaha ₩
- 1936 Bold Venture
- 1937 War Admiral ₩
- 1938 Lawrin
- 1939 Johnstown
- 1940 Gallahadion
- 1941 Whirlaway ₩
- 1942 Shut Out
- 1943 Count Fleet ₩
- 1944 Pensive
- 1945 Hoop Jr.
- 1946 Assault ₩
- 1947 Jet Pilot
- 1948 Citation ₩
- 1949 Ponder
- 1950 Middleground
- 1951 Count Turf
- 1952 Hill Gail
- 1953 Dark Star
- 1954 Determine
- 1955 Swaps
- 1956 Needles
- 1957 Iron Liege
- 1958 Tim Tam
- 1959 Tomy Lee
- 1960 Venetian Way
- 1961 Carry Back
- 1962 Decidedly
- 1963 Chateaugay
- 1964 Northern Dancer
- 1965 Lucky Debonair
- 1966 Kauai King
- 1967 Proud Clarion
- 1968 Forward Pass (Dancer's Image disqualified)
- 1969 Majestic Prince
- 1970 Dust Commander
- 1971 Canonero II
- 1972 Riva Ridge
- 1973 Secretariat ₩
- 1974 Cannonade
- 1975 Foolish Pleasure
- 1976 Bold Forbes
- 1977 Seattle Slew ₩
- 1978 Affirmed ₩
- 1979 Spectacular Bid
- 1980 Genuine Risk ♥
- 1981 Pleasant Colony
- 1982 Gato Del Sol
- 1983 Sunny's Halo
- 1984 Swale
- 1985 Spend a Buck
- 1986 Ferdinand
- 1987 Alysheba
- 1988 Winning Colors ♥
- 1989 Sunday Silence
- 1990 Unbridled
- 1991 Strike the Gold
- 1992 Lil E. Tee
- 1993 Sea Hero
- 1994 Go for Gin
- 1995 Thunder Gulch
- 1996 Grindstone
- 1997 Silver Charm
- 1998 Real Quiet
- 1999 Charismatic
- 2000 Fusaichi Pegasus
- 2001 Monarchos
- 2002 War Emblem
- 2003 Funny Cide
- 2004 Smarty Jones
- 2005 Giacomo
- 2006 Barbaro
- 2007 Street Sense
- 2008 Big Brown
- 2009 Mine That Bird
- 2010 Super Saver
- 2011 Animal Kingdom
- 2012 I'll Have Another
- 2013 Orb
- 2014 California Chrome
- 2015 American Pharoah ₩
- 2016 Nyquist
- 2017 Always Dreaming
- 2018 Justify ₩
- 2019 Country House (Maximum Security disqualified)
- 2020 Authentic
- 2021 Mandaloun (Medina Spirit disqualified)
- 2022 Rich Strike
- 2023 Mage
- 2024 Mystik Dan
Legend – ₩ = Triple Crown winners, ♥ = Filly