Buck's Boy (1993 – January 27, 2022) was an 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 ...

Background

He was bred by horseman Noel Hickey's Irish Acres Farm of

Ocala, Florida Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Florida, United States. Located in North Central Florida, the city's population was 63,591 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 56,315 at the 2010 census and making ...

who sold him to George Bunn of Quarter B Farm in

Pleasant Plains, Illinois Pleasant Plains is a village in Sangamon County, Illinois, Sangamon County, Illinois, United States. The population was 809 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Illinois Springfield, Illinois metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistic ...

. Out of Noel Hickey's

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equidae, equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more th ...

Molly's Colleen, by multiple stakes winner, Verbatim, his grandsire was U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee and U.S. Horse of the Year,

Buckpasser Buckpasser (1963– March 6, 1978) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a ...

Racing career

Conditioned by Noel Hickey, Buck's Boy was sent to the track at age three, making six starts of which he won three. In 1997 he had nine starts, winning five, the most important of which was the

Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap The Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap is a Grade III race for thoroughbred horses run at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, Illinois each year. The Hawthorne Gold Cup trophy has always been made of solid gold. The Hawthorne Gold Cup is currently a G ...

. In the 1997

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 ...

, he finished third behind winner, Chief Bearhart. At age five, Buck's Boy was the United States' Champion Male Turf Horse, winning several important races including the

Turf Classic Invitational Stakes The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes is a Grade I American Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for three years old and older over a distance of miles on the turf track scheduled in late September or early October at . The event currently offers ...

and the

Riggs Handicap The Riggs Handicap is a discontinued American Thoroughbred horse race at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland which was first run in 1926 as a race for horses age three and older and named in honor of the late William P. Riggs, Secretar ...

then capping off his season by winning the 1998 Breeders' Cup Turf in which he defeated a field that included the

parimutuel betting Parimutuel betting, or pool 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 ''vigorish'', are deducted, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among a ...

favorite,

Royal Anthem The anthem for a person, office or rank is music played on formal or ceremonial occasions in the presence of the person, office-holder, or rank-holder, especially by a military band. The head of state in many countries is honored with a prescrib ...

. A

gelding A gelding (Help:IPA/English, /ˈɡɛldɪŋ/) is a castration, castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. The term is also used with certain other animals and livestock, such as domesticated Camelidae, camels. By compa ...

, Buck's Boy raced in 1999 and 2000, winning five of his thirteen starts including his second 1½ mile Pan American Handicap at

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park is a Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida, Hallandale Beach, Florida, United States. It is among the most important venues for ...

Retirement and death

At the end of 2000, he was retired to his owner's Quarter B Farm in Pleasant Plains, Illinois. Buck's Boy died on January 27, 2022, at the age of 29.

Notes

References

{{Reflist
Buck's Boy's pedigree and partial racing stats
1993 racehorse births 2022 racehorse deaths Breeders' Cup Turf winners Eclipse Award winners Racehorses bred in Illinois Thoroughbred family 52