Gato Del Sol (February 23, 1979 – August 7, 2007) 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 ...
best known for his win in the 1982
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 ...
.
Background
Gato Del Sol was a gray horse foaled at
Stone Farm in
Paris, Kentucky
Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky, and the county seat. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. It is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2020, it ha ...
. He was sired by the
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
an horse
Cougar
The cougar (''Puma concolor'') (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, KOO-gər''), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North America, North, Central America, Cent ...
, who enjoyed his greatest success in North America and was inducted into the
U.S. Racing Hall of Fame. His dam Peacefully also produced the
Prix Morny
The Prix Morny is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,200 metres (about 6 furlongs), and it is schedule ...
winner Tersa and was distantly related to the
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and older, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club that forms part of the ...
winner
Beldale Ball.
Gato Del Sol was owned and bred by Stone Farm proprietor
Arthur B. Hancock III
Arthur Boyd Hancock III (born February 22, 1943, in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American owner of Thoroughbred racehorses, the owner of Stone Farm, a 2,000 acre (8 km2) horse breeding operation in Paris, Kentucky, and a composer of Bluegra ...
in partnership with one of his longtime clients,
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
real estate broker
Leone J. Peters. The two men also bred
Risen Star, winner of the 1988
Preakness Preakness may refer to:
* The Preakness or Preakness Stakes, an American flat thoroughbred horse race held in Baltimore, Maryland
* Preakness (horse), an American thoroughbred racehorse from Preakness Stables
* Preakness, New Jersey, a section of W ...
and
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 ...
. He was trained by
Eddie Gregson.
Racing career
1981: two-year-old season
Gato Del Sol made his debut at
Hollywood Park in 1981 and lost his first two races. In his third start, at
Del Mar Racetrack
The Del Mar Fairgrounds is an event venue in Del Mar, California. It hosts the annual San Diego County Fair. The venue sits on a property along the Pacific Ocean coastline. It includes the Del Mar Racetrack, built in 1936 by the Del Mar Thoroug ...
, he won for the first time. After a third-place finish in the Balboa Stakes, he won the
Del Mar Futurity
The Del Mar Futurity is a seven-furlong 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 two-year-old horses and offers a purse of $300,000.
In 1971, it wa ...
.
1982: three-year-old season
In his three-year-old campaign, Gato del Sol was winless going into the
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 ...
but had been second in the
Blue Grass Stakes
The Blue Grass Stakes, currently the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes due to sponsorship by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is a horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. The race is ru ...
at
Keeneland Race Course
Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for it ...
.
Given little chance by
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 ...
bettors against the favored
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 ...
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 early but under jockey
Eddie Delahoussaye
Edward J. Delahoussaye (born September 21, 1951) is a retired Americans, American Thoroughbred horse race, Thoroughbred jockey from New Iberia, Louisiana.
He began his career in 1968 and ten years later became the top American jockey with 384 win ...
began making a move after half a mile. By the mile pole, he 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 2½ lengths. He paid $44.40 to win, the 10th highest payoff in Derby history.
Following his Derby win, Gato Del Sol's handlers decided to bypass the
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 ...
with its shorter distance. Instead, they rested their horse for the 1½ mile
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 ...
. Their decision marked the first time in twenty-three years that the Kentucky Derby winner did not try for the
Triple Crown. Gato Del Sol finished second in the Belmont Stakes, fourteen lengths behind
Henryk de Kwiatkowski's colt,
Conquistador Cielo
Conquistador Cielo (March 20, 1979 – December 17, 2002) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He is best known for his performances as a three-year-old in 1982 when he won the Belmont Stakes and was voted United States Horse of the Year.
B ...
.
Gato Del Sol raced on the
New York circuit for the remainder of the 1982 season. After he finished eighth in the
Suburban Handicap
The Suburban Stakes (also known 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 now run at the mile distance on dirt for a $350,000 pu ...
, his training was taken over by
Howard Tesher
Howard M. Tesher (1932 – January 20, 2023) was an American Thoroughbred horse race, Thoroughbred horse racing horse trainer, trainer. A journalism graduate from the University of Florida, he began his career training Thoroughbreds in 1961. Amon ...
. Gato Del Sol then won an allowance race at
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, Saratoga Springs, New York (state), New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting v ...
on August 7 as a tuneup for his run in the prestigious
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Midsummer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds accor ...
. That year, the entries included each of the winners of the three
American Classics. In addition to Derby winner Gato Del Sol, the competition included Preakness Stakes victor
Aloma's Ruler
Aloma's Ruler (1979–2003) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the second leg of the 1982 U.S. Triple Crown series, the Preakness Stakes.
Background
Aloma's Ruler was purchased for $92,000 at the 1981 Hialeah, Florida sale of two-y ...
and
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 ...
winner Conquistador Cielo. However,
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
outsider
Runaway Groom
Runaway Groom (1979–2007) was a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse.
Background
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 wa ...
won, becoming the first horse in American racing history to defeat the winners 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.
Later career
He 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
The Del Mar Fairgrounds is an event venue in Del Mar, California. It hosts the annual San Diego County Fair. The venue sits on a property along the Pacific Ocean coastline. It includes the Del Mar Racetrack, built in 1936 by the Del Mar Thoroug ...
, then in 1984 was switched to running on
turf
Sod is the upper layer of turf that is harvested for transplanting. Turf consists of a variable thickness of a soil medium that supports a community of turfgrasses.
In British and Australian English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', ...
. He went winless, notably finishing eighth in the 1984
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 ...
. 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
Hollywood Park was a thoroughbred horse racing, race course located in Inglewood, California, about 3 miles (5 km) from Los Angeles International Airport and adjacent to The Forum (Inglewood, California), the Forum indoor arena. In 1994, t ...
, his career finale.
Retirement and stud record
Retired to
stud
Stud may refer to:
Animals
* Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding
** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred
Arts and entertainment
* Stud (band), a British progressive rock group
* The Stud (bar), a gay bar in San Francisco
* ...
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
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, where he continued to underperform. In 2000, his original co-owner, Arthur Hancock III, and his wife Staci bought Gato Del Sol back in order to eliminate any possibility that he be subjected to the same fate as another American champion,
Exceller
Exceller (May 12, 1973 – April 7, 1997) 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 ...
, who was killed in a
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
slaughterhouse
In livestock agriculture and the meat industry, a slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir (), is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a mea ...
.
Pensioned, Gato Del Sol spent the remainder of his days on the farm where he was foaled. On August 7, 2007, he was
euthanized
Animal euthanasia (euthanasia from ; "good death") is the act of killing an animal humanely, most commonly with injectable drugs. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditions or diseases, lack of resources to con ...
because of health complications at the age of 28.
Pedigree
References
Stone Farm tribute to Gato Del Sol
Trivia
* Not only was Gato del Sol the first Derby winner for Arthur Hancock III, he was the first Derby winner owned by a member of the famed Hancock family of Claiborne Farm, whose business was primarily breeding. Arthur later won a second Derby title as owner of
Sunday Silence
Sunday Silence (March 25, 1986 – August 19, 2002) was an United States, American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and Horse breeding#Terminology, sire. In 1989, he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes but failed to complete the Triple Cr ...
.
* Stone Farm is a sponsor of the
University of Kentucky Solar Car Team
The University of Kentucky Solar Car Team is an independent, student-led project that operates as part of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering. The team's primary goal is to compete in the American Solar Challenge (held every two year ...
, with Gato Del Sol serving as the namesake for the 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.
{{Kentucky Derby Winners
1979 racehorse births
2007 racehorse deaths
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Racehorses trained in the United States
Kentucky Derby winners
Hancock family
Thoroughbred family A1