Borrego (horse) explained

Horsename:Borrego
Sire:El Prado
Grandsire:Sadler's Wells
Dam:Sweet as Honey
Damsire:Strike the Gold
Sex:Stallion
Foaled:2001
Country:United States
Colour:Chestnut
Breeder:Jon S. Kelly, Ralls & Foster LLC, Brad Scott, et al.
Owner:Jon S. Kelly, Ralls & Foster LLC, Brad Scott, et al.
Trainer:C. Beau Greely
Record:20: 5-6-2
Earnings:$2,052,090
Race:Pacific Classic Stakes (2005)
Jockey Club Gold Cup (2005)
Updated:September 21, 2007

Borrego (foaled May 17, 2001 in Kentucky, United States) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Borrego was bred to sell by a partnership Jon Kelly, Ralls and Foster LLC, Brad Scott and C. Beau Greeley. The partnership twice bought Borrego back at auction when bidding did not reach the reserve price set by the partnership. He was campaigned by Lexington-native C. Beau Greely throughout his 20 race career, which included victories in a pair of Grade 1 races and a start in the prestigious Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Racing career

2004: Two-year-old season

Borrego's career as a racehorse began in October 2003. Being by the Irish sire El Prado, a sire known for producing both turf and dirt runners, trainer C. Beau Greely debuted his homebred colt on the turf in a one mile Maiden Special Weight at Santa Anita Park. After running 4th in his debut, he won for the first time in his next start, and went on to win once more in his juvenile season.

2005: Three-year-old season

Greely started Borrego on the road to the Kentucky Derby in 2004, first in the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

He earned his spot in the Derby after respectable finishes in the Louisiana Derby and Arkansas Derby, but could do no better than 10th on Derby Day. He wheeled back two weeks later in the second leg of the Triple Crown, Pimlico's Preakness Stakes. He ran 7th in that race, but rebounded that fall to finish 2nd in a pair of stakes races.

2006: Four-year-old season

Borrego came back for his four-year-old season, and after several solid efforts he finally broke through in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar, rallying from well back to pull off a 1/2-length upset at 11/1 odds.

Greely shipped Borrego across the country for the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. Under regular rider Garrett Gomez, dropped back to his usual position near the rear of the pack early before unleashing a rally en route to an effortless 4½ length win. With that victory he became the first horse to win both the Pacific Classic and Jockey Club Gold Cup, each valued at $1,000,000.

Borrego's final career race was the Breeders' Cup Classic, also held at Belmont that year, but he was unable to replicate his previous efforts as he ran 10th. Borrego was set to return to race as a five-year-old in 2006, but ankle surgery in March of that year pushed back his expected return date until late that summer. By April, Borrego had been officially retired from racing as he was not healing as quickly as expected.

Race record

Finish
Race
Distance
Track
Beyer
2005
10thBreeders' Cup ClassicOne and One-Fourth MilesBelmont Park97
1stJockey Club Gold CupOne and One-Fourth MilesBelmont Park110
1stPacific ClassicOne and One-Fourth MilesDel Mar113
2ndHollywood Gold CupOne and One-Fourth MilesHollywood Park107
4thCalifornian StakesOne and One-Eighth MilesHollywood Park104
3rdMervyn Leroy HandicapOne and One-Sixteenth MilesHollywood Park107
3rdSanta Anita HandicapOne and One-Fourth MilesSanta Anita Park103
1stAllowance Optional ClaimingOne and One-Sixteenth MilesSanta Anita Park94
2004
9thOak Tree DerbyOne and One-Eighth Miles (Turf)Santa Anita Park98
2ndSuper DerbyOne and One-Eighth MilesLouisiana Downs102
2ndEl Cajon StakesOne MileDel Mar91
7thPreakness StakesOne and Three-Sixteenth MilesPimlico94
10thKentucky DerbyOne and One-Fourth MilesChurchill Downs83
2ndArkansas DerbyOne and One-Eighth MilesOaklawn Park107
2ndLouisiana DerbyOne and One-Sixteenth MilesFair Grounds97
2ndSham StakesOne and One-Eighth MilesSanta Anita Park98
2003
1stAllowance Optional ClaimingOne and One-Sixteenth MilesSanta Anita Park93
8thGenerous StakesOne Mile (Turf)Hollywood Park77
1stMaiden Special WeightOne Mile (Turf)Santa Anita Park84
4thMaiden Special WeightOne Mile (Turf)Santa Anita Park61

As a stallion

Upon retirement, Borrego was shipped to Kentucky to stand at the Wintergreen Stallion Station in Midway. He stands for a fee of $20,000 for a single live cover breeding. His first crop began racing in 2010.

References