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.
| 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 |
| Major wins | |
| Pacific Classic Stakes (2005) Jockey Club Gold Cup (2005) | |
| Last updated on September 21, 2007 | |
Racing career edit
2004: Two-year-old season edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
| Finish |
Race |
Distance |
Track |
Beyer |
| 2005 | ||||
| 10th | Breeders' Cup Classic | One and One-Fourth Miles | Belmont Park | 97 |
| 1st | Jockey Club Gold Cup | One and One-Fourth Miles | Belmont Park | 110 |
| 1st | Pacific Classic | One and One-Fourth Miles | Del Mar | 113 |
| 2nd | Hollywood Gold Cup | One and One-Fourth Miles | Hollywood Park | 107 |
| 4th | Californian Stakes | One and One-Eighth Miles | Hollywood Park | 104 |
| 3rd | Mervyn Leroy Handicap | One and One-Sixteenth Miles | Hollywood Park | 107 |
| 3rd | Santa Anita Handicap | One and One-Fourth Miles | Santa Anita Park | 103 |
| 1st | Allowance Optional Claiming | One and One-Sixteenth Miles | Santa Anita Park | 94 |
| 2004 | ||||
| 9th | Oak Tree Derby | One and One-Eighth Miles (Turf) | Santa Anita Park | 98 |
| 2nd | Super Derby | One and One-Eighth Miles | Louisiana Downs | 102 |
| 2nd | El Cajon Stakes | One Mile | Del Mar | 91 |
| 7th | Preakness Stakes | One and Three-Sixteenth Miles | Pimlico | 94 |
| 10th | Kentucky Derby | One and One-Fourth Miles | Churchill Downs | 83 |
| 2nd | Arkansas Derby | One and One-Eighth Miles | Oaklawn Park | 107 |
| 2nd | Louisiana Derby | One and One-Sixteenth Miles | Fair Grounds | 97 |
| 2nd | Sham Stakes | One and One-Eighth Miles | Santa Anita Park | 98 |
| 2003 | ||||
| 1st | Allowance Optional Claiming | One and One-Sixteenth Miles | Santa Anita Park | 93 |
| 8th | Generous Stakes | One Mile (Turf) | Hollywood Park | 77 |
| 1st | Maiden Special Weight | One Mile (Turf) | Santa Anita Park | 84 |
| 4th | Maiden Special Weight | One Mile (Turf) | Santa Anita Park | 61 |
As a stallion edit
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.