| Horsename: | Seeking The Gold |
| Sire: | Mr. Prospector |
| Grandsire: | Raise A Native |
| Dam: | Con Game |
| Damsire: | Buckpasser |
| Sex: | Stallion |
| Foaled: | 7 April 1985 |
| Country: | United States |
| Colour: | Bay |
| Breeder: | Ogden Phipps |
| Owner: | Ogden Phipps |
| Trainer: | Shug McGaughey |
| Record: | 15: 8-6-0 |
| Earnings: | $2,307,000 |
| Race: | Super Derby (1988) Peter Pan Stakes (1988) Dwyer Stakes (1988) Swale Stakes (1988) |
| Updated: | June 14, 2017 |
Seeking The Gold (April 7, 1985 – July 28, 2016) was an American thoroughbred racehorse and a successful sire.
Seeking The Gold, a bay colt, was bred in Kentucky by Ogden Phipps, who also owned him. One of numerous top class runners sired by Mr. Prospector, Seeking The Gold was out of the Buckpasser mare Con Game, who also produced Remsen Stakes winner Fast Play and the Jamaica Handicap winner Stacked Pack.[1]
Seeking The Gold ran only once as a juvenile, making his debut race in late December 1987 a winning one.[2]
Seeking The Gold showed his best form as a three-year-old in 1988. He won the Super Derby, Peter Pan Stakes, Dwyer Stakes, and Swale Stakes, a race in which he went into undefeated.
He was narrowly beaten by Forty Niner in both the Haskell Invitational Stakes and the Travers Stakes,[3] then also finished second again to Alysheba in the 1988 Breeder's Cup Classic, all with jockey Pat Day aboard coming with late runs and fast finishes for the runner-up placings. He was also second in both the Gotham Stakes and Wood Memorial Stakes to Private Terms earlier in the year.
Seeking The Gold ran twice as an older horse, winning an allowance at Belmont Park in May 1989, and finishing second nine days later in the Metropolitan Handicap behind Proper Reality.[2]
Seeking The Gold was pensioned in November 2008 after standing stud at Claiborne Farm for a fee that was as high as US$250,000 before being lowered to US$125,000 (live foal) in 2005.[4] In 19 crops of foals, Seeking The Gold sired at least 91 stakes winners, of which 18 were G1 winners and 5 were champions. His progeny include:
Seeking The Gold was crowned the Leading Freshman Sire of 1993, and Leading Juvenile Sire of 1994.[5] [6]
Seeking The Gold has also achieved prominence as a broodmare sire, as his daughters have produced 76 graded stakes winners with combined progeny earnings of more than $213.8 million.[7] As a broodmare sire, his most notable runners include:
Other notable descendants include Warrior's Reward, Awesome Slew, Pine Island, Dancing Forever, Pomeroy, Mushka, Robe Decollete, Internallyflawless, Riskaverse, Better Lucky, Lighthouse Bay, Swift Temper, and Graceful Leap (JPN).
After being pensioned from stud duty in November 2008, Seeking the Gold was allowed to continue to reside in one of the stallion barns at Claiborne Farm.
Seeking The Gold was humanely euthanized at Claiborne Farm on July 28, 2016, due to the infirmities of old age. On hearing of the horse's death, Shug McGaughey said "He was a very, very successful racehorse. One of my all-time favorites. He gave 110% every time."[8]