Roberto (horse)
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| Roberto | ||
 Roberto on the cover of the December 20, 1978 issue of Thoroughbred Record magazine |
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| Sire: | Hail To Reason | |
| Dam: | Bramalea | |
| Damsire: | Nashua | |
| Sex: | Stallion | |
| Foaled: | 1969 | |
| Country: | United States | |
| Colour: | Bay | |
| Breeder: | John W. Galbreath | |
| Owner: | John W. Galbreath | |
| Trainer: | Vincent O'Brien | |
| Record: | 14: 7-3-0 | |
| Earnings: | $339,902 | |
| Major Racing Wins & Honours & Awards | ||
| Major Racing Wins | ||
| National Stakes (1971) Anglesey Stakes (1971) Epsom Derby (1972) Benson & Hedges Gold Cup (1972) Vauxhall Trial Stakes (1972) Coronation Cup (1973) |
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| Racing Awards | ||
| Champion 2-Year-Old Colt in Ireland (1971) Champion 3-year-old colt in Ireland (1972) Champion 3-year-old colt in England (1972) |
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Infobox last updated on: December 2, 2006. |
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Roberto (1969-1988) was a American-bred Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who competed in Ireland and England. He was named for Major League Baseball star Roberto Clemente by his owner John Galbreath who also owned the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team.
Roberto was bred by Galbreath at his Darby Dan Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. The son of the successful sire Hail To Reason out of the dam Bramalea, Roberto's grandsire was Turn-To, a descendant of Nearco, and his damsire was the U.S. Hall of Famer, Nashua. Sent to Ireland to be trained by Vincent O'Brien, Roberto had an impressive 2-year-old campaign that saw him win the Group One National Stakes and earn 1971 Irish Champion colt honors in his age group.
At age three, Roberto began competing with the best horses in England. In the Two Thousand Guineas Classic, Roberto finished second to High Top. Ridden by Lester Piggott, Roberto defeated Rheingold by a head to capture the Epsom Derby, the most prestigious race in the United Kingdom. The victory made John Galbreath the first person to own winners of both the English and American Derbys, having won the 1967 Kentucky Derby with Proud Clarion.
[edit] The Benson & Hedges Gold Cup
In the inaugural edition of the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup in 1972, Roberto established himself as a truly great horse. Many racing observers believed Rheingold was the better horse and should have won the Epsom Derby. Superstar jockey Lester Piggott too shared this view and after Roberto had run poorly in his previous start, for the Benson & Hedges Gold Cup Piggott abandoned Roberto to ride Rhinegold. However, it was the entry of the formidable 4-year-old Brigadier Gerard that generated enormous publicity for the race. Undefeated in fifteen career starts, Brigadier Gerard was seen as invincible.
Having lost jockey Piggott, Roberto's owner John Galbreath flew in the Panamanian-born American jockey Braulio Baeza. Riding for the first time on an English racetrack, according to Raceform, a leading publisher of U.K. horseracing information, Braulio Baeza aboard "Roberto was out of the stalls like a bat out of hell." Shocked racing fans watched as the colt never looked back, handing Brigadier Gerard his only defeat while setting a new York Racecourse record in beating the illustrious champion by three lengths.
Roberto raced at age four, notably winning the prestgious Coronation Cup. Retired to stand at stud at Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky, Roberto became a successful sire. Among his notable offspring is Dynaformer who in turn sired 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.
Roberto died on August 2, 1988 at Darby Dan Farm and is buried in their equine cemetery.
