Pyro (horse)
Encyclopedia
Pyro is an American
Thoroughbred
Stallion
Racehorse. His sire is Pulpit
, a son of the 1992 Eclipse Award
Winner for American Horse of the Year, A.P. Indy
. His dam is the mare Wild Vision, sired by the 1984 Breeders' Cup Classic
winner, Wild Again
.
in the Grade 1
Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park
in Elmont, New York
and in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile
at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey
.
at the Fair Grounds Race Course
in New Orleans, Louisiana
. In a ten-horse race marked by a very slow pace, Pyro was last at the top of the stretch but moved between three horses and, as the track announcer said, he was "coming like a rocket" when he passed the rest of the field and won the 1 1/16 miles Risen Star Stakes by two lengths. The Daily Racing Form
said: "His rally to win the Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds in February was so phenomenal that he evoked comparisons to the legendary Silky Sullivan
."
On March 8, Pyro won the Grade 2
Louisiana Derby
at the Fair Grounds.
On April 12, Pyro finished a distant 10th, beaten by 39 lengths in the Blue Grass Stakes
at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky
. Pyro might have disliked the Polytrack
at Keeneland, as opposed to conventional dirt tracks where he had never finished worst than third.
On May 3, he finished 8th in the 2008 Kentucky Derby
.
On June 14, Pyro regained his form in the Northern Dancer Stakes
, winning decisively against a top-notch field. In order: My Pal Charlie, Visionaire (12th in the Kentucky Derby), Recapturetheglory (5th in the Derby), Texas Wildcatter, and Unbridled Vicar.
On July 27, he came in a late charge to take second to Macho Again
, (runner up in the Preakness Stakes
), in the Grade II Jim Dandy Stakes
at Saratoga Race Course
. Pyro placed second by 1/2 length.
On August 23, he made a late closing finish to finish behind Colonel John
and Mambo in Seattle in the Travers Stakes
Then he was prepped for the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita to run in the Dirt Mile. It was well known that the synthetic track at Santa Anita
was far from being the poly-track at Keenland. Nevertheless, it was obviously not his day and he raced way behind the leaders and never made a late move.
In his first race in 2009 after a long lay-off, he took the Grade 1, 7 furlong Forego Stakes against grade 1 winning sprint horse Kodiak Kowboy
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
Stallion
Stallion
A Stallion is a male horse.Stallion may also refer to:* Stallion , an American pop rock group* Stallion , a figure in the Gobot toyline* Stallion , a character in the console role-playing game series...
Racehorse. His sire is Pulpit
Pulpit (horse)
Pulpit , is an American Thoroughbred stallion who now performs stud duties at Claiborne Farm for a fee of $60,000 per live foal. His sire is the 1992 Eclipse Award winner for American Horse of the Year and American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse, A.P. Indy...
, a son of the 1992 Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
Winner for American Horse of the Year, A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy is a champion stallion Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Kentucky, USA, by William Farish III and William Kilroy. He is known for his ancestry, his own record, and his successful progeny. He was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew through mare Weekend Surprise, who herself was sired...
. His dam is the mare Wild Vision, sired by the 1984 Breeders' Cup Classic
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
winner, Wild Again
Wild Again
Wild Again was an American Thoroughbred racehorse by Icecapade out of Bushel-N-Peck . He was broken and initially trained by Tommy Akin, but for the majority of his career was trained by Vincent Timphony...
.
Racing Career (2007)
At age two Pyro won an allowance race by a nose and notably ran second to War PassWar Pass
War Pass was an American champion Thoroughbred racehorse and winner of the 2007 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Owned by Robert V. LaPenta and bred by Cherry Valley Farm, he was out of the mare Vue, a daughter of the influential Champion sire Mr. Prospector...
in the Grade 1
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...
Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
in Elmont, New York
Elmont, New York
Elmont is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the northwest corner of the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City...
and in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Breeders' Cup Juvenile
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships....
at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey
Oceanport, New Jersey
Oceanport is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,832.Oceanport was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 6, 1920, from portions of Eatontown Township , based on the results of a...
.
Racing Career (2008)
At age three, he made a very impressive debut in the Risen Star StakesRisen Star Stakes
The Risen Star Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the Fair Grounds Race Course. It is open to three year old horses and is raced over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it offers a purse of $300,000. The race is a prep to the...
at the Fair Grounds Race Course
Fair Grounds Race Course
Fair Grounds Race Course, often known as New Orleans Fair Grounds, is a thoroughbred racetrack and racino in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is operated by Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing Company, LLC....
in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. In a ten-horse race marked by a very slow pace, Pyro was last at the top of the stretch but moved between three horses and, as the track announcer said, he was "coming like a rocket" when he passed the rest of the field and won the 1 1/16 miles Risen Star Stakes by two lengths. The Daily Racing Form
Daily Racing Form
The Daily Racing Form is a tabloid newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of race horses as a statistical service for bettors on horse racing in the United States....
said: "His rally to win the Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds in February was so phenomenal that he evoked comparisons to the legendary Silky Sullivan
Silky Sullivan
Silky Sullivan was an American thoroughbred race horse best known for his come-from-behind racing style...
."
On March 8, Pyro won the Grade 2
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...
Louisiana Derby
Louisiana Derby
The Louisiana Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Usually run in early March, the race is open to horses, age three, willing to race 11/8 miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it currently offers a purse of...
at the Fair Grounds.
On April 12, Pyro finished a distant 10th, beaten by 39 lengths in the Blue Grass Stakes
Blue Grass Stakes
The Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, currently sponsored by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is an American Grade 1 horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in mid April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky....
at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. Pyro might have disliked the Polytrack
Polytrack
A synthetic racetrack surface is any kind of surface substance that replaces grass, dirt or sand as the racing surface on a horse racing track. Synthetic surfaces may be desirable over traditional surfaces for several reasons, most prominently the reduction of injuries and possible deaths to horses...
at Keeneland, as opposed to conventional dirt tracks where he had never finished worst than third.
On May 3, he finished 8th in the 2008 Kentucky Derby
2008 Kentucky Derby
The 2008 Kentucky Derby was the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 3, 2008 with 157,770 in attendance, the second largest in Derby history. Post time was 6:15 p.m. EDT and was televised in the United States on the NBC television network.Big Brown won the race by nearly...
.
On June 14, Pyro regained his form in the Northern Dancer Stakes
Northern Dancer Stakes
The Northern Dancer Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid-June at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.Named in honor of the horse, Northern Dancer, the Grade III stakes for three-year-olds is run on dirt over a distance of 8.5 furlongs .The race currently offers a...
, winning decisively against a top-notch field. In order: My Pal Charlie, Visionaire (12th in the Kentucky Derby), Recapturetheglory (5th in the Derby), Texas Wildcatter, and Unbridled Vicar.
On July 27, he came in a late charge to take second to Macho Again
Macho Again
Macho Again is a retired American thoroughbred stallion racehorse. He was sired by the 2000 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Macho Uno, who in turn was a son of leading sire Holy Bull. He is out of the mare Go Donna Go, who is the daughter of Wild Again.Macho Again got his start as a...
, (runner up in the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
), in the Grade II Jim Dandy Stakes
Jim Dandy Stakes
The Jim Dandy Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. The Grade II race has been held annually since 1964 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is open to horses age three, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. It carries a purse of $500,000. Prior...
at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
. Pyro placed second by 1/2 length.
On August 23, he made a late closing finish to finish behind Colonel John
Colonel John
Colonel John is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 2008 Santa Anita Derby.Bred and raced by WinStar Farm, he was sired by Tiznow, the 2000 American Horse of the Year and a two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic...
and Mambo in Seattle in the Travers Stakes
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.First held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers...
Then he was prepped for the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita to run in the Dirt Mile. It was well known that the synthetic track at Santa Anita
Santa Anita
Santa Anita may refer to:*Metro Santa Anita, a station on the Mexico City Metro*Rancho Santa Anita, a 13,319-acre land grant given to Hugo Reid*Santa Anita, Baja California Sur, a village in Baja California del Sur, Mexico...
was far from being the poly-track at Keenland. Nevertheless, it was obviously not his day and he raced way behind the leaders and never made a late move.
In his first race in 2009 after a long lay-off, he took the Grade 1, 7 furlong Forego Stakes against grade 1 winning sprint horse Kodiak Kowboy
Kodiak Kowboy
Kodiak Kowboy is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse owned by Vinery Stables and Fox Hill Farms and trained by Steve Asmussen. He was also trained by Larry Jones for part of his career. In 2007 he won a Sovereign Award as Canadian Champion 2-Year-Old Colt.Kodiak Kowboy is a multiple grade...
.