The Kentucky Derby brings together people from all over the globe and is by far the biggest sporting event of the year for Kentucky. By conventional standards, Fusaichi Pegasus hasn't done enough to be ready for a 1 1/4-mile race. Red Bullet covered the 1 3/1 6 miles in 1:56, well off Louis Quatorze's 1996 stakes record of 1:53 3/5 . Fusaichi Pegasus was a Kentucky Derby winner and ran just one more race after he was purchased by Ashford Stud. We are always in there with a chance. And he started looking at each of us, moving his head and I said, 'Look at this damn foal! Looking back on Fusaichi Pegasus 2000 Derby, what are your fondest memories? He's either raised them or bred them. Impeachment, who was four lengths behind Aptitude and a half-length in front of More Than Ready, paid $4 as part of a four-horse entry due to common ownership. The race took place on May 6, 2000. When I did start getting on him at Churchill Downs I knew he was a smart horse. ", Drysdale took a pass on the winner's circle photo, as he stood nearby watching. I'll never forget that. He was the first Wood Memorial-Derby winner since Pleasant Colony in 1981. T&Cs apply. "He just took off like a rocket and I knew at that point this race was over," Desormeaux said. Tres Borrachos did not have enough graded stakes earnings for the Derby. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Fusaichi Pegasus was a superstar of racing when he won the Kentucky Derby, The horse was even honoured with his own solid gold statue - but he never fully lived up to expectation at stud, The horse's owner, Sekiguchi, left, made a huge profit when he was sold, A geisha girlwas on hand to celebrate Fusaichi Pegasus' Kentucky Derby win in 2000, Fusaichi Pegasus remains the most expensive horse ever, Crazy German Hamburg race where horses swim through lake and jockeys desperately try to hold on before reaching land, Galileo - worth around 180m and also owned by Coolmore, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Establishes time and monetary limits before playing, Only gambles with money they can afford to lose, Doesnt gamble if theyre upset, angry or depressed. He loves his job and loves the horses. He filled out and it was the time that he needed.". ', So I bid the $25,000 and damned if we didn't get her, Hancock said. #inline-recirc-item--id-a43f4b3c-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { I made up my mind that I was going to bid something and try to put a syndicate together, because we loved that horse. But I didn't have to. Updated: 14:38, 26 Feb 2021 MYSTERY surrounds the story of the most expensive horse ever worth 53.7million who ended up flopping at stud for just 5,000. I remember getting him ready for the sale, Hancock said. He was the damndest foal, he recollected. The record Derby crowd of 163,264 attended the centennial running in 1974. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Chicago mayor calls on Texas to cease sending migrants to the city. I've never seen a foal do that. "We're trying to have a 3-year-old champion here. We had dinner, we hit it off, I liked Bob and Janice and they liked me, Hancock said. When rounding the clubhouse turn, Hal's Hope is in the front, following Trippi on the outside in second place. pleasure to ride. The winner, a chestnut colt with a wide white blaze on his face, gained command in midstretch and pulled away to a 3 3/4 -length advantage at the wire. "Flying away: Fusaichi Pegasus wins 126th Kentucky Derby", "The First Kentucky-Bred Champion of the Epsom Derby", "Kentucky Derby: The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports Promotion", "Just How International is the Kentucky Derby? Only deposits made using Cards or Apple Pay will qualify for this promotion. The hype around FuPeg - what fans called him - meant he was always going to be judged to the highest standards. Aptitude returned $9.80 and $5.80; Impeachment $4. Sanan's Padua Stables signed for the next three highest-priced colts during that session, including a $1.6-million son of Mr. ProspectorVideo, and also acquired the filly that would ultimately become GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Cash Run (Seeking the Gold) for $1.2 million. and I said, 'Well, Bob, we got the green light from a fella that knows more about it than any of us, why don't you let us bid a time or two again?' Forget the final time of 1:34.07. The first time I ever got on Fusaichi Pegasus was for his final breeze before the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Action Network report that, by the end, this horse that promised so much ended up being the cheapest of the 14 stallions at Ashford Stud. But was the weather ready? day Unbridled won the Derby. Your internet access is invaluable in continueing my enjoyment of horse [5] The race is not just important in Kentucky or the United States, its popularity is seen around the globe. Trying to send you a comment as to how much I appreciate this information. This story was posted in Shared News and tagged Angel Fever, Arthur B. Hancock III, Churchill Downs, Fusao Sekiguchi, Gato del Sol, horse breeding, Horse Racing, John Adger, Keeneland July, Kentucky Derby, Mr. Prospector, Robert McNair, Stone Farm, Sunday Silence. Following his retirement, he showed promise as a stallion before dying at the age of eight. Trainer Wayne Lukas, who second-guessed himself later, advised Magniers group that Sekiguchi wouldnt stop bidding until he had bought the horse. The time of 2:01.12 was tied for the sixth fastest in the 126 Derbies. GG Golden Gate Fields. We've got this beautiful yearling, great pedigree and no one is going to buy him.' Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hancock and partners felt they had a seven-figure yearling on their hands, but that is not to say there weren't some anxious moments before the Angel Fever colt was offered as hip 228, the second-last horse to go through the ring of the boutique July Sale on the evening of Tuesday, July 21. McNair was short on experience where it came to Thoroughbreds, but long on business acumen and possessed of the resources to go into battle. Fusaichi Pegasus came on strong in the stretch, taking the lead approaching the eigth pole and finishing 1 1-2 lengths ahead of Aptitude. In But this will depend on what Mr. Drysdale says about it. I remember the weatherman said, 'There's going to be a skiff [i.e. A partnership had nevertheless been struck. Red Bullet -- making just the fifth start of his career -- became the first new shooter (a horse that did not run in the Derby) to win the Preakness since Deputed Testamony in 1983. [9] A large price was paid for Pegasus at Keeneland, by a buyer by the name of Fusao Sekiguchi, $4 million was how much was paid for Pegasus. I was wading through the snow which was about up to my belt. He happened to be 1-to-5 and touted as the next Triple Crown winner.". Later, Fusaichi Pegasus pulled ahead during the final stretch of the Wood Memorial thoroughbred race, securing yet He was the exercise rider I) for Kentucky Derby (gr. Neon bending! How surprised were you when Fusaichi Pegasus was upset in the Preakness? He won the Kentucky Derby after coming from next to nowhere in lower graded races in the US, and won six of nine races in all. Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. Britain shifts Sudan airlift to Red Sea coast for final evacuation flight, May 1 (UPI) -- Britain will mount a final evacuation flight from Port Sudan on the Red Sea on Monday two days after ending its airlift from Khartoum amid a deteriorating security situation in the capital as a fragile cease-fire fizzled, As Title 42 comes to an end, El Paso declares state of emergency. Fusaichi Pegasus was an exception to that rule and clearly still occupies a spot near and dear to Arthur Boyd Hancock III. At first I blamed the surface and thought that maybe he did not handle it. Pronunciation of - Fusaichi Pegasus with 2 audio pronunciations. As the bidding soared, Sekiguchi told his bidder, John Ward, that he was prepared to go to at least $5 million. Eventually, the widely accepted figure the horse went for is around 53.7m. The ease with which jockey Kent Desormeaux guided his colt home -- after weaving inside, then outside through most of the 19-horse field -- immediately had the sun-baked crowd of 153,204 entertaining visions of another Triple Crown champion. I was shocked. This record-selling horse went to Coolmore Stud in Ireland, and he's held the title of "the most expensive horse in history" all the way through to his retirement of stud duties at Coolmore Stud in Kentucky during 2020.[7]. The winning horse Fusaichi Pegasus was the first betting favorite to win the Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979. Fusaichi Pegasus was sold at the 1998 Keeneland July yearling sale to a Japanese businessman, Fusao Sekiguchi, who purchased the yearling at $4 million--the most expensive sale in 13 years. It was cut again in each of the next three years and from 2011 stood at a lowly 5,000. The connections of Red Bullet and Fusaichi Pegasus were both noncommittal about a rubber match in the June 10 Belmont Stakes. The horses are worth millions, the purse will be split between the top 5 finishers. Wherever the colt races, it will be in the United States. After drawing clear of Albert the Great, Desormeaux gave two more looks over his right shoulder, and when the second look revealed El Corredor moving in on him, the rider threw three crosses on Fusaichi Pegasus and hand-rode him to the wire to win three-quarters of a length. The 2000 Kentucky Derby was the 126th running of the Kentucky Derby. The playful colt, who sometimes gets too exuberant, acted like a perfect gentleman Saturday in doing what good horses like Easy Goer, Arazi and Holy Bull couldn't do win the Derby as the betting favorite. He stood up in 35 or 40 minutes, which is a good sign, it shows courage and athleticism. I). Neither co-owners, Fusao Sekiguchi nor Teruya Yoshida of Shadai Farm, were present. "It's more the horse than me," he said. Drysdale said he wants to see how much the Jerome took out of the colt before deciding whether to run in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. p: (800) 647-6571 and genuinely kindhearted human being. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. "I don't know if it's a rubber match," said Orseno, 44. Featured Tracks. Erdogan says Turkey killed ISIS leader in Syria. Maybe he was a victim of his own success. Trippi takes early lead, with Hals Hope challenging early on. For instance, Seattle Slew, the 1977 Triple Crown winner was bought for $17,500 while Real Quiet, who carried Desormeaux to victory in 1998, was a $17,000 yearling. First Republic seized by regulators and sold to JPMorgan. 2000 The Associated Press. The Deputy, the second favorite, trained by Jenine Sahadi, finished 14th. The horse's career was finally ended for good late last year, when he was pensioned from stud duty. . When kidded he wasn't one to bask in the glories of his victories, Drysdale said, "I'm more worried about him.". A few weeks later, on May 6, 2000, Fusaichi Pegasus, who went off at 9-5, became the first favorite to win the Kentucky Derby since Spectacular Bid did it in 1979, a I told them, 'Don't get in the business unless you're prepared to lose what you invest because it's a tough game.'. Andy Durnin is considered by some as the best exercise rider in North America. Because Coolmore paid so much for Fusaichi Pegasus, the stud fee is expected to be $200,000 a mating. The minute I jumped on his back I had no feeling Next the horse gets to a good speed and then slows back down to a slow gallop and finishes with a jog. . He has an outstanding pedigree, and he won the Derby. Lemon Drop Kids breeding syndication package of Betfair: Bet 10 on 13.15 Kempton Sat, Get 10 free bet for next SIX races - CLAIM HERE, Paddy Power: 20 Risk Free Bet- CLAIM HERE, Betfair: New customer offer, Min single 10 Sportsbook bet on the 13:15 Kempton, 27th February ('Win or E/W' market only). I caught up with Andy Durnin, who galloped Fusaichi Pegasus during the 2000 Triple Crown. Racing over a wet track before a Pimlico Race Course crowd of 98,304, jockey Jerry Bailey said his plan of "trying to get the jump on the favorite" worked to perfection on the far turn. Not a subscriber? For example, Angel Fever, who passed away at age 14 in 2004, contributed mightily to that success, her progeny having accounted for better than $18 million in bloodstock sales. But with Big It's holding very well.". Maybe he knew what was coming. Your TDN download has begun. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? The other thing is trainers charge a day rate around $100, this contains employees, payroll taxes, workers comp, feeding and bedding, vitamins and supplies. Winning their two respective races was brilliant. Pope Francis says Vatican involved in ongoing effort to end Ukraine war. WebFusichi Pegasus won the 2000 Kentucky Derby by an entire one and a half lengths and finished with a time of 2:01 which was the sixth fastest finishing time thought the one With Desormeaux shutting down the engines, and looking back over his right shoulder, and Fusaichi Pegasus now on cruise control, with his ears straight up, the teletimer flashes 1:08 1/5 (1:08.36 to be exact) for six furlongs. He had that very formal air about him, Hancock remembered. As he walked by, with his coat shining like burnished copper, dozens of flashes emerged from the gray shroud that had fallen on Belmont. Deposits using cards or Apple Pay only. Now put Fusaichi Pegasus into the picture. Hancock says he put together a high-powered team of Kentucky horsemen in an attempt to stand Fusaichi Pegasus at Stone Farm. he said. T&Cs apply. "Some cost $15,000, some cost $15 million.". Indy, Fusaichi Pegasus went on a five-race winning streak in 2000, scoring in the GII San Felipe S. and GII Wood Memorial S. before becoming the first favorite since Spectacular Bid in 1979 to take the Derby. The series oncludes three weeks after that with the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park. I had no limits on how much I would spend. racing. This week is a recap of the 2000 Jerome Handicap (gr. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, Plaschke: Lakers live up to their legacy with a close-out win for the ages, China to scrap PCR test requirement for inbound travelers starting Saturday, Down to our final hill: Ski season (finally) winding down at Big Bear resorts, If Its a Small World isnt the best ride at Disneyland, what is? A few steps firmly planted into the dampened loam were about to determine whether the long-awaited return of racing's "Winged Wonder" would actually become a reality. "I couldn't have asked for a better trip," said Alex Solis, who rode the stretch-running Aptitude for the first time. But knowing what I was sitting on, and the acceleration my horse had, it didn't take me long to figure out that it would take another brilliant performance by the other horse to stay with me.". Fusaichi Pegasus was the name of the horse who won the 2000 Kentucky Derby and was ridden by jockey Kent Desormeaux. Thats very unfortunate wording after Saturdays "Unfortunately, the horse that won was just fantastic.". Nothing stops the man who desires to achieve. Just focus on a stretch of Belmont, from the three-eights pole to the quarter pole, which is often an unforgiving wasteland that turns horses' legs into rubbery, useless implements of power. Max refund for this offer is 20. . How Much does it Cost to Own a Racehorse? Then the racing form was Angel Fever had speed and we knew Mr. Prospector could sire horses with speed. 29 Sun. One of the underbidders on the stallion Fusaichi Pegasus doesnt feel that he has missed out. The Angel Fever colt was unflappable from the time he was born into his yearling season. On May 1, 2011, President Barack Obama announced that al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden, architect of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was killed. In the five weeks (since), he gained the 16 plus 10 extra ones. Drysdale was pleased with how the playful Fusaichi Pegasus won the race. As well as all the friends Subscribe for FREE to the Daily PDF or the News Alerts. Neil Drysdale was ready. 29 Sun. The horse had jumped from There was something special about him. [14], Keeneland is located in Lexington, Kentucky, about six miles west of The University of Kentucky. John took that shank and sort of got into him and the horse started backing up. lose to Red Bullet. The following day, the Stone Farm phone rings. Drysdale also trained A.P. That was a very exciting day. She was a very good-looking mare. Desormeaux senses he may have pulled the trigger too soon and he wraps up on his colt, who has shown time and again that he came off the assembly line with several more gears than other horses. Keep reading with unlimited digital access. He does seem to be improving. The victory capped a sweet week for trainer Neil Drysdale, who was elected to the Racing Hall of Fame early in the week. I knew I was going to be off the pace a little bit, but I didn't know if I was going to be in front of the favorite or behind the favorite.". He was a very curious, inquisitive, intelligent horse.. We were fortunate to get her.. Yet many handicappers wonder if Fusaichi Pegasus will become uncontrollable Saturday, amid a crowd of 140,000 and a wild atmosphere that can unsettle thoroughbreds who are ordinarily well-behaved. Enjoyed this blog on horses. He lost that particular battle to one of Fusaichi Pegasus's underbidders, but whatever disappointment might linger from that small upset, is trumped by the considerable success he has tasted in a long and prosperous career. Pottery! Hancock said that the death of the 29-year-old Mr. Prospector, in June 1999, of complications from a stomach ailment, might have enhanced the bidding on Fusaichi 12, 1997. 1 Wed. 2 Thu. Terry Pegulas ask was simple, direct and humble: The Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres owner, speaking in a recorded video message, asked fans, The national effort to shed a greater spotlight on what advocates believe is improper content available to children in school libraries has ta. So when time was called on his racing career, Fusaichi Pegasus' owner Fusao Sekiguchi - who bought him for around 2.8m - held out for the biggest price. There are stories of envelopes passed under hotel room doors, detailing offers of 20m and 35m. Eventually, the widely accepted figure the horse went for is around 53.7m Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Stronach, an Austrian native with homes in Newmarket, Ont., Switzerland and three other locations, also owns seven thoroughbred race tracks, including Santa Anita and Gulfstream. From then buyers would assemble a horse racing team with a jockey and trainers and race their horse, in hopes that the horse will eventually make it to the national stage of the Kentucky Derby.