Artax (1995–2012) was a champion American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

who won the 1999

Breeders' Cup Sprint The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs ( mile), the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in t ...

and was the 1999

American Champion Sprint Horse The American Champion Sprint Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a ...

. He also won the

Carter Handicap The Carter Handicap is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of seven furlongs run annually in early April at Aqueduct Racetrack. Race history First run in 1895, the race was named fo ...

and

Vosburgh Stakes The Vosburgh Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Run at the end of September/early October, it is open to horses three-years-old and up of either gender. A Grade III sprint race, it is ...

and equaled or broke three track records. Artax was named after a horse featured in the children's

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''. During the 1999 running of the Maryland Breeders' Cup, an inebriated man (Lee Chang Ferrell) walked under the rail at Pimlico Racecourse on Preakness Day and stood in front of the field. As Artax came by, he attempted to hit him and the horse moved over several paths, making contact with other horses and wrenching his ankle. Ferrell was not injured. All betting money on the horse, who was the 4/5 favorite, was refunded. Artax was retired to stud in 2000. He stood at several farms, including Clermont Farm in New York, Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky and Diamond G Ranch in

Edmond, Oklahoma Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States. It is a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, located in Central Oklahoma. Its population was 94,428 according to the 2020 United States census, a 16% increase from 2010. maki ...

, before being moved to Haras Santa Tereza do Bom Retiro in Brazil. His most notable offspring include Diabolical, winner of the Alfred Vanderbilt Handicap, and Grade I winner Friendly Michelle. Artax died on January 8, 2012, in an equine hospital in Brazil due to complications from

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References

Artax's pedigree and partial racing stats
{{reflist 1995 racehorse births 2012 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Horse racing track record setters Eclipse Award winners Breeders' Cup Sprint winners Thoroughbred family 14-a