Kentucky 2007: Buckpasser's Grave

Here is a photograph of Buckpasser's grave, the 1966 Horse of the Year and #14 of the Top 100 Race horses of the 20th century. His amazing record ended with a 31: 25-4-1, and he was voted a 2 year-old and 3 year-old Champion and Champion Handicap Male twice. He was inducted into the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame in 1970.

He was also a playful horse who liked to toss riders, but sweet and gentle around the barn. But he was a very lazy impossible work horse. He only liked to race against stiff competition for adoring screaming fans. And even then, he only liked to run just enough and not an ounce more. He only once pulled away in a race. He was always just winning by a hair's breath or neck. His riders had to have perfect timing because Buckpasser thought wide margins were for idiots and he would pull himself up, if he felt like, "Yep, I beat them. I'm done."

He was a beauty. The artist Richard Stone Reeves, who painted his Horse of the Year portrait said, "Buckpasser was the most perfectly proportioned thoroughbred I have ever seen." And felt that he was a mannerly sweet horse. Dr. Manuel Gilman, a New York racing official said, "Generally, every horse has about a hundred faults of conformation. I would defy anybody to pick a flaw in Buckpasser."

He was by Tom Fool (1953 Handicap Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year) and Busanda by War Admiral (Horse of the Year) and her dam's dad Blue Larkspur was also a Horse of Year. So, Buckpasser was all stocked up on good breeding! He even had Equipoise in him for endurance along with speed!

When he retired, he sired 36 stakes winners, and was the broodmare sire of 142 stakes winners, including 11 Champions!

I received help for this Blog from the Thoroughbred Champions Top 100 Horses of the 20th Century book, as well as websites listed below. I am also going to post a fun interview about Buckpasser by his jockey, Baeza, as well as youtube footage of several of his races!
http://www.spiletta.com/UTHOF/buckpasser.html
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckpasser
or
http://www.brauliobaeza.com/hoy_buckpasser.html
or
http://www.stallions.com.au/historical/buckpasser.asp
or
http://www.classicphotos.com/turf/lt7.html
or
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/article.cgi?id=6785
or
http://www.racingmuseum.org/hall/horse.asp?ID=38
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zqRgpmplwvs
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0j_-7esL5s0
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=rUpVHqkss_o
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pUhp7BjoKGQ
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=l2eZNv2nmHY
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=N0Sy-ZyeMa0
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CR5TnmSDo3I
or
http://youtube.com/watch?v=X8frxLao1bM

Kentucky 2007: Claiborne's Monarchos

Here is Monarchos standing outside his stallion barn at Claiborne Farm. He was beautiful and sweet -- he preened like a stallion, but also was gentle. The stallion manager let us pet him. And so he is officially the first Kentucky Derby winner I ever petted! I was thrilled.

He was born in 1998 and his record is 10: 4-1-3 and $1,720,830. He won both the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby, placed in the Wood Memorial, and showed in the Belmont Stakes. His time in the Kentucky Derby was the second fastest in history, behind Secretariat's. He was in 10th place in a pack of 17, but managed to pick off each horse and finally put Congaree behind him at a searing pace! Of his preparatory win in the Florida Derby before the run for the roses, his jockey, Jorge Chavez said, "When I asked him, he just exploded. That was a great feeling, like I was the king."


So far, he has had 5 crops and 261 foals. Three of his crops are of racing age, with 192 foals of racing age.

His mom, Regal Band, died this year at the age of 20 at Rood and Riddle Hospital on April 9. She was suffering from a liver disorder. She was carrying an Empire Maker foal. My girls are related to his family in many ways, including Nearctic, Bimelech, Eight Thirty, War Admiral, Busanda, Bull Dog, Menow, Blue Larkspur, Turn-To, Nasrullah, Gainsborough, Case Ace, Bull Lea, Sir Gallahad, Case Ace, and Discovery.

You can read more about this sexy sweet kind stallion at the following links:
http://www.claibornefarm.com/stallions/monarchos.shtml
or
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchos
or
http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2005/derby_history/derby_charts/years/2001.html
or
http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallionregister/sr_sire_page.asprefno=4475639&origin=BHonline or
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/horseracing/preakness/bal-sp.derby06may06,1,3965877.story?coll=bal-sports-preakness&ctrack=1&cset=true
or
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/1315147.stm
or
http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/breeding-news/2007/April/09/Dam-ofMonarchos-dies-at-age-20.aspx
or
http://horseracing.about.com/library/weekly/aa050501a.htm