Gato Del Sol
Encyclopedia
Gato Del Sol was an American
Thoroughbred
racehorse
. He was foaled at Stone Farm
in Paris, Kentucky
, the son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
inductee, Cougar II
, and out of the mare Peacefully whose grandsire was Bold Ruler
, another Hall of Fame champion and an eight-time Leading sire in North America
.
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
.http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE7DC1F3DF934A35755C0A96E948260 The two men also bred Risen Star
, winner of the 1988 Preakness
and Belmont Stakes
.
Trained by Eddie Gregson, Gato Del Sol made his debut at Hollywood Park in 1981, beaten in his first two races. In his third start, at Del Mar Racetrack
, he won for the first time then after a third-place finish in the Balboa Stakes, won the Del Mar Futurity
. 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.
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 almost from the start, but under jockey Eddie Delahoussaye
began making a move after half a mile and by the mile pole 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 a total of 2½ lengths. He paid $44.40 to win, the 10th-highest payoff in Derby history.
Immediately following his Derby win, Gato Del Sol's handlers decided to bypass the Preakness Stakes
with its shorter distance and tighter turns. 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 chose not to try for the Triple Crown. However, Gato Del Sol finished second in the Belmont Stakes, fourteen lengths back of Henryk de Kwiatkowski's
colt, Conquistador Cielo
.
After his Belmont race, Gato Del Sol remained racing on the New York circuit
for the remainder of the 1982 season. He was a disappointing eighth in the Suburban Handicap
Following his eighth place finish in the July 1982 Suburban Handicap
, Gato Del Sol's training was taken over by Howard Tesher who then won an Allowance race at Saratoga Race Course
on August 7 as a tuneup for his run in the prestigious Travers Stakes
. The race that year had as its entrants each of the winners of the three American Classics. In addition to Derby winner Gato Del Sol, the competition included the Preakness Stakes victor Aloma's Ruler
, and the Belmont Stakes
winner Conquistador Cielo. However, fans watching the Travers Stakes witnessed a brilliant stretch run by the Canadian
outsider Runaway Groom
to win the race and become the only horse in American racing history to defeat the winner 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.
Gato Del Sol 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 would be switched to running on turf
. Nonethess, 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.
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 under perform. In 2000, his original co-owner, Arthur Hancock III and his wife Staci, arranged to buy Gato Del Sol back in order to eliminate any possibility that he be subjected to the same fate as another American champion, Exceller
, who met an ignominious death in a Swedish
slaughterhouse
.
Pensioned, Gato Del Sol spent the remainder of his days on the farm where he was foaled and, on August 7, 2007, he had to be euthanized
because of health complications at the age of 28.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. He was foaled at Stone Farm
Stone Farm
Stone Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding farm in Paris, Kentucky. It was founded in 1970 by Arthur B. Hancock III, part of the prominent Hancock family of Claiborne Farm fame....
in Paris, Kentucky
Paris, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,183 people, 3,857 households, and 2,487 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,222 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.23% White, 12.71% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.16%...
, the son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
inductee, Cougar II
Cougar II
Cougar II was a Chilean Thoroughbred racehorse who also competed in theUnited States where he was inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. He was sired by Tale of Two Cities, a son of Tehran, winner of the 1944 St...
, and out of the mare Peacefully whose grandsire was Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse.Bred by the Wheatley Stable of Gladys Mills Phipps, Bold Ruler was foaled on April 6, 1954 at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky to Nasrullah and Miss Disco by Discovery...
, another Hall of Fame champion and an eight-time Leading sire in North America
Leading sire in North America
The list below shows the leading sire of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prizemoney won by the sire's progeny during the year...
.
Gato Del Sol was owned and bred by Stone Farm proprietor Arthur B. Hancock III
Arthur B. Hancock III
Arthur Boyd Hancock III is an American owner of Thoroughbred racehorses, the owner of Stone Farm, a 2,000 acre horse breeding operation in Paris, Kentucky, and a composer of Bluegrass music....
in partnership with one of his longtime clients, Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
real estate broker Leone J. Peters
Leone J. Peters
Leone J. Peters was an American businessman and an owner-breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses.-Real Estate:Peters, a prominent Manhattan real estate broker and consultant, was the archetype of the modern commercial real estate broker. He joined the property management company Cushman & Wakefield in...
.http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE7DC1F3DF934A35755C0A96E948260 The two men also bred Risen Star
Risen Star
Risen Star, , was a champion thoroughbred race horse.The dark bay colt was the son of the great Triple Crown winner Secretariat out of the mare Ribbon. Bred by Arthur B. Hancock III and Leone J. Peters, Risen Star was bought by Louisianans Ronnie Lamarque and Louie Roussel III at the 1987 Calder...
, winner of the 1988 Preakness
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
and Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
.
Trained by Eddie Gregson, Gato Del Sol made his debut at Hollywood Park in 1981, beaten in his first two races. In his third start, at Del Mar Racetrack
Del Mar Racetrack
Del Mar Racetrack is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the seaside city of Del Mar, California, 20 miles north of San Diego. Operated by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, it is known for the slogan: "Where The Turf Meets The Surf." It was built by a partnership...
, he won for the first time then after a third-place finish in the Balboa Stakes, won the Del Mar Futurity
Del Mar Futurity
The Del Mar Futurity is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. A Grade I event since 2007, the race is open to horses, age two, willing to race seven furlongs on Polytrack synthetic dirt and offers a purse of $250,000.The race is currently...
. In his three-year-old campaign, Gato del Sol was winless going into the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
but had been second in the Blue Grass Stakes
Blue Grass Stakes
The Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, currently sponsored by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is an American Grade 1 horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in mid April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky....
at Keeneland Race Course.
1982 Kentucky Derby
Given little chance by Churchill DownsChurchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
bettors
Parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
against the favored Wood Memorial Stakes
Wood Memorial Stakes
The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, New York. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....
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 almost from the start, but under jockey Eddie Delahoussaye
Eddie Delahoussaye
Edward J. Delahoussaye is a retired American Thoroughbred jockey from New Iberia, Louisiana.He began his career in 1968 and ten years later became the top American jockey with 384 wins...
began making a move after half a mile and by the mile pole 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 a total of 2½ lengths. He paid $44.40 to win, the 10th-highest payoff in Derby history.
Immediately following his Derby win, Gato Del Sol's handlers decided to bypass the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
with its shorter distance and tighter turns. Instead, they rested their horse for the 1½ mile Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
. Their decision marked the first time in twenty-three years that the Kentucky Derby winner chose not to try for the Triple Crown. However, Gato Del Sol finished second in the Belmont Stakes, fourteen lengths back of Henryk de Kwiatkowski's
Henryk de Kwiatkowski
Henryk Richard de Kwiatkowski was a Polish-born member of the Royal Air Force who became an aeronautical engineer and made a fortune in business in North America and who owned Calumet Farm, one of the most prestigious Thoroughbred horse breeding and racing farms in the United States.Born in...
colt, Conquistador Cielo
Conquistador Cielo
Conquistador Cielo was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Purchased as a yearling for $150,000 by Henryk de Kwiatkowski, he was trained by Woody Stephens. Racing as a two-year-old, Conquistador Cielo won two races in his four starts...
.
After his Belmont race, Gato Del Sol remained racing on the New York circuit
New York Racing Association
The New York Racing Association, Inc. is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse-racing tracks in the state of New York. It runs Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, Belmont Park in Elmont, Long Island , and Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga...
for the remainder of the 1982 season. He was a disappointing eighth in the Suburban Handicap
Suburban Handicap
The Suburban Handicap is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is run at the classic one-and-one-quarter mile distance on dirt for a $400,000 purse....
Following his eighth place finish in the July 1982 Suburban Handicap
Suburban Handicap
The Suburban Handicap is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is run at the classic one-and-one-quarter mile distance on dirt for a $400,000 purse....
, Gato Del Sol's training was taken over by Howard Tesher who then won an Allowance race at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
on August 7 as a tuneup for his run in the prestigious Travers Stakes
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.First held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers...
. The race that year had as its entrants each of the winners of the three American Classics. In addition to Derby winner Gato Del Sol, the competition included the Preakness Stakes victor Aloma's Ruler
Aloma's Ruler
Aloma's Ruler was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the second leg of the 1982 U.S. Triple Crown series.Aloma's Ruler was purchased for $92,000 at the 1981 Hialeah, Florida sale of two-year-olds by Baltimore, Maryland businessman Nathan "Red" Scherr , who was advised by trainer John...
, and the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
winner Conquistador Cielo. However, fans watching the Travers Stakes witnessed a brilliant stretch run by the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
outsider Runaway Groom
Runaway Groom
Runaway Groom was a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Gardiner Farms in Caledon, Ontario, Runaway Groom was sired by the prominent Nearco descendant Blushing Groom out of the mare Yonnie Girl. He was purchased as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton sale in Kentucky by New Yorker...
to win the race and become the only horse in American racing history to defeat the winner 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.
Gato Del Sol returned to race on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
in mid May 1983. He won two of nine starts including the Cabrillo Handicap
Cabrillo Handicap
The Cabrillo Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California from 1966 through 1990. Open to horses age three and older, the ungraded event was raced on dirt...
at Del Mar Racetrack
Del Mar Racetrack
Del Mar Racetrack is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the seaside city of Del Mar, California, 20 miles north of San Diego. Operated by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, it is known for the slogan: "Where The Turf Meets The Surf." It was built by a partnership...
then in 1984 would be switched to running on turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
. Nonethess, he went winless, notably finishing eighth in the 1984 Breeders' Cup Turf
Breeders' Cup Turf
The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current title sponsor is Emirates Airlines.The forerunner...
. In his fifth year of racing, Gato Del Sol started twice, finishing second in the Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile Stakes
Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile Stakes
The Shoemaker Mile Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually as a Grade I at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. Raced at a distance of one mile on the turf, it is open to any horse age three and up and currently offers a purse of $300,000.Inaugurated in 1938 as the...
and winning the 1985 Caballero Handicap at Hollywood Park Racetrack.
Retired to stud
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
duty at Stone Farm
Stone Farm
Stone Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding farm in Paris, Kentucky. It was founded in 1970 by Arthur B. Hancock III, part of the prominent Hancock family of Claiborne Farm fame....
, Gato Del Sol had little success as a sire. He was eventually sold and in 1993 ended up at a breeding operation in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
where he continued to under perform. In 2000, his original co-owner, Arthur Hancock III and his wife Staci, arranged to buy Gato Del Sol back in order to eliminate any possibility that he be subjected to the same fate as another American champion, Exceller
Exceller
Exceller is widely considered one of the best horses to race in the United States not to win a year-end championship. Despite his exemplary achievements as a racehorse, and his unique accomplishment in being the only horse to ever defeat two Triple Crown winners in the same race , Exceller is now...
, who met an ignominious death in a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
slaughterhouse
Slaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
.
Pensioned, Gato Del Sol spent the remainder of his days on the farm where he was foaled and, on August 7, 2007, he had to be euthanized
Animal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
because of health complications at the age of 28.
Trivia
- Not only was Gato del Sol the first Derby winner for Arthur Hancock III, it was the first Derby winner owned by a member of the famed Hancock family of Claiborne Farm whose business was primarily that of breeders. Arthur later won a second Derby title as owner of Sunday SilenceSunday SilenceSunday Silence was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, earning distinction as 1989 American Horse of the Year over American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse Easy Goer. He was foaled in 1986, sired by Halo out of Wishing Well by Understanding. Though he was registered as a dark bay/brown, he was in...
. - Stone Farm is a sponsor of the University of Kentucky Solar Car TeamUniversity of Kentucky Solar Car TeamThe University of Kentucky Solar Car Team is an independent, student-led project that operates as part of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering. In 2008, the Solar Car Team completed its first North American Solar Challenge, finishing 11th of 15 teams in the 2400 mile race from Plano,...
, with Gato Del Sol serving as the namesake for the local 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.