Dapper Dan (foaled 1962 in

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

) was an American

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 was bred by Dorothy Dorsett Brown and owned and raced by

Ogden Phipps Ogden Phipps (November 26, 1908 – April 21, 2002) was an American stockbroker, court tennis champion and Hall of Fame member, thoroughbred horse racing executive and owner/breeder, and an art collector and philanthropist. In 2001, he was induct ...

. He had an outstanding sophomore season, finishing second or fourth in five stakes races. The son of Ribot and grandson of NasrullahDapper Dan's pedigree and partial racing stats
/ref> is remembered for his closing finishes to place second in the 1965

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

and

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park (race track), Laurel Park dur ...

Racing career

As a three-year-old, Dapper Dan finished second in three of his first four stakes races that spring. In March, he placed second in the

Gotham Stakes The Gotham Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run in early March at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. A Grade III event with a current purse of US$300,000, it is set at a distance of 1 mile on the dir ...

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack within ...

. He then ran fourth in the

Wood Memorial Stakes The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. It is run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. The Wood Memor ...

. On the first Saturday of May in the 1965

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States that hosts the annual Kentucky Derby. It opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was prominent in Kentucky for many years. The first ...

, Dapper Dan faded to near the back of the pack early and closed to finish second to

Lucky Debonair Lucky Debonair (May 2, 1962 – July 10, 1987) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1965 Kentucky Derby. Background He was bred by owners Dan and Ada Rice of Wheaton, Illinois at their Danada Farm satellite operatio ...

. He ran the last quarter mile in track record time of 23 1/5 seconds. That record stood until

Secretariat Secretariat may refer to: * Secretariat (administrative office) * Secretariat (horse) Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who was the ninth winn ...

's :23 flat in 1973. In the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series, the

. Dapper Dan went off as fifth choice at 7:1 in a strong field of ten three year-old colts. He broke from post eight and settled in seventh place going into the clubhouse turn at

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of O ...

. Dapper Dan continued to make up ground after three furlongs and moved up to fourth at the top of the stretch. The leader,

Tom Rolfe Tom Rolfe (April 14, 1962 – June 12, 1989) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. He was the leading colt of his generation in the United States, winning the Preakness Stakes and being voted ...

, veered into Dapper Dan's path after heavy right-handed whips by jockey

Ron Turcotte Ronald Joseph Morel Turcotte (born July 22, 1941) is a retired Canadian thoroughbred race horse jockey best known as the rider of Secretariat, winner of the U.S. Triple Crown in 1973. Career Turcotte began his career in Toronto as a hot walk ...

. At about the sixteenth pole, the leaders brushed slightly. Tom Rolfe then held off Dapper Dan by a decreasing neck. Dapper Dan's jockey,

Ismael Valenzuela Ismael Valenzuela (December 25, 1934 – September 2, 2009) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He was one of 22 children born to parents who had immigrated to the United States. Shortly after Valenzuela's birth, the family return ...

, lodged an objection against Turcotte and Tom Rolfe for intimidation. However, the stewards upheld the finish with Tom Rolfe in first, Dapper Dan in second, and Hail to All in third, four lengths back. Three weeks later, Dapper Dan finished fourth to

Hail To All Hail To All (foaled 1962) was an American thoroughbred racehorse which won the 1965 Belmont Stakes. Background Hail to All was a bay horse bred at Styles Colwill's Halcyon Farm in Maryland. He was sired by Hail To Reason, out of the mare Ellen ...

in the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...

in New York.

Four-year-old season

As a four-year-old, Dapper Dan finished third behind Davis 2nd in April 1966 in 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 ...

. On Memorial Day, he placed fourth in the

Metropolitan Handicap The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile", is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile (8 furl ...

behind

Bold Lad Bold Lad (1962–1986) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Bold Lad bred and raced by Gladys Phipps and her brother Ogden L. Mills under their Wheatley Stable banner. His sire was eight-time leading sire in North Amer ...

References

{{reflist
Dapper Dan's pedigree and partial racing stats
1962 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 1-x