Da Hoss
Encyclopedia
Da Hoss by Gone West (by Mr. Prospector
) out of Jolly Saint (by Welsh Saint) is a bay
Thoroughbred
gelding
best known for twice winning the Breeders' Cup Mile
. He was bred in Kentucky
by Fares Farms and originally owned by Prestonwood Farm as well as Wallstreet Racing Stables.
Bought for only $6,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland Sales
, by Kevin Eikleberry. Da Hoss was then taken to Turf Paradise, in Phoenix, AZ, where had 3 wins in 3 starts at two years of age. He even rocketed six furlongs in the record time of 1:071/5 at the age of 2.
At three, he took the Grade III
Best Turn Stakes (now known as the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes
), the Grade II Jersey Derby
, the Grade II Del Mar Derby
, and came second in the Grade II Gotham Stakes
, Illinois Stakes, Swaps Stakes
, and Pegasus Stakes
.
When he was four, he won the Grade I Breeders' Cup Mile, now known as the Breeders' Cup Turf Mile, under Gary Stevens, the Grade I Fourstardave Handicap
, and the Pennsylvania Governors' Cup.
And at six he again won the Breeders' Cup Mile.
The Breeders' Cup Mile at six was done with serious true grit since Da Hoss had always suffered from foot problems, and after his win in the 1996 Mile by one and a half lengths, he was out of racing for almost two years: 1997 and 1998. He had only one prep race for the 1998 Mile and that was an allowance which he easily won. And then he came back, ridden by John Velazquez, to take his second Breeders' Cup by a nose to Hawksley Hill in a truly thrilling stretch battle. Tom Durkin
, announcing, yelled, "Oh my, this is the greatest comeback since Lazarus. He's had one race in two years."
The comeback of Da Hoss is considered by most sports writers as the biggest comeback of all time.
In his twenty starts, Da Hoss won 12, placed in 5, and came home third twice. His career earnings amount to $1,931,558.
Until Ouija Board took her second non-consecutive Breeders' Cup win in 2006, he was only one of six horses to ever win two Cups, and the only one to win in non-consecutive years.
Da Hoss now lives at the Kentucky Horse Park
in the Hall of Champions.
Mr. Prospector
Mr. Prospector was a thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Kentucky, whose descendants have been dominant in the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. He won half of his 14 career races.-Background:...
) out of Jolly Saint (by Welsh Saint) is a bay
Bay (color)
Bay is a hair coat color of horses, characterized by a reddish brown body color with a black mane, tail, ear edges, and lower legs. Bay is one of the most common coat colors in many horse breeds....
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...
gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
best known for twice winning the Breeders' Cup Mile
Breeders' Cup Mile
The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's inception in 1984...
. He was bred in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
by Fares Farms and originally owned by Prestonwood Farm as well as Wallstreet Racing Stables.
Bought for only $6,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland Sales
Keeneland Sales
The Keeneland Sales is an American Thoroughbred auction house in Lexington, Kentucky founded in 1935 as a nonprofit racing/auction entity on 147 acres of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by Jack O. Keene...
, by Kevin Eikleberry. Da Hoss was then taken to Turf Paradise, in Phoenix, AZ, where had 3 wins in 3 starts at two years of age. He even rocketed six furlongs in the record time of 1:071/5 at the age of 2.
At three, he took the Grade III
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Best Turn Stakes (now known as the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes
Jimmy Winkfield Stakes
The Jimmy Winkfield Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Aqueduct Racetrack on Long Island, New York at the beginning of each year. In its 27th running in 2011, the ungraded stakes event is for three-year-olds and set at a distance of six furlongs on the dirt...
), the Grade II Jersey Derby
Jersey Derby
The Jersey Derby is a $100,000 American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in late July/early August at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Since 1993 it has been raced on grass at a distance of 1 1/16 miles....
, the Grade II Del Mar Derby
Del Mar Derby
The Del Mar Derby is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually during the first week of September at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California...
, and came second in the Grade II Gotham Stakes
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 purse of $250,000, it is set at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt...
, Illinois Stakes, Swaps Stakes
Swaps Stakes
The Swaps Stakes is a race for Thoroughbred horses run annually at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. The race is open to three-year-old horses willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it carries a purse of $350,000.Run in mid July, this race is...
, and Pegasus Stakes
Pegasus Stakes
The Pegasus Stakes is an American Grade III Thoroughbred horse race run annually in June at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey.An event for three-year-olds of either gender, it is contested at a mile and an eighth on the dirt, and offers a purse of $250,000.There was no race run in...
.
When he was four, he won the Grade I Breeders' Cup Mile, now known as the Breeders' Cup Turf Mile, under Gary Stevens, the Grade I Fourstardave Handicap
Fourstardave Handicap
The Fourstardave Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Grade II race is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the turf...
, and the Pennsylvania Governors' Cup.
And at six he again won the Breeders' Cup Mile.
The Breeders' Cup Mile at six was done with serious true grit since Da Hoss had always suffered from foot problems, and after his win in the 1996 Mile by one and a half lengths, he was out of racing for almost two years: 1997 and 1998. He had only one prep race for the 1998 Mile and that was an allowance which he easily won. And then he came back, ridden by John Velazquez, to take his second Breeders' Cup by a nose to Hawksley Hill in a truly thrilling stretch battle. Tom Durkin
Tom Durkin
Tom Durkin is an American sportscaster and public address announcer specializing in Thoroughbred horse racing. He was the race caller for NBC Sports from 1984 through 2010....
, announcing, yelled, "Oh my, this is the greatest comeback since Lazarus. He's had one race in two years."
The comeback of Da Hoss is considered by most sports writers as the biggest comeback of all time.
In his twenty starts, Da Hoss won 12, placed in 5, and came home third twice. His career earnings amount to $1,931,558.
Until Ouija Board took her second non-consecutive Breeders' Cup win in 2006, he was only one of six horses to ever win two Cups, and the only one to win in non-consecutive years.
Da Hoss now lives at the Kentucky Horse Park
Kentucky Horse Park
Kentucky Horse Park is a working horse farm and an educational theme park opened in 1978 in Lexington, Kentucky. It is located off Kentucky State Highway 1973 and Interstate 75 in northern Fayette County in the United States...
in the Hall of Champions.