Da' Tara

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Da'Tara

Sire	Tiznow
Grandsire	Cee's Tizzy
Dam	Torchera
Damsire	Pirate's Bounty
Sex	Colt
Foaled	2005
Country	United States
Colour	Dark bay or brown
Breeder	WinStar Farm
Owner	Robert LaPenta
Trainer	Nick Zito
Record	8-2-2-1
Earnings	$664,067
Major Racing Wins, Awards and Honours
Major Racing Wins
American Classic Race wins: Belmont Stakes (2008)
Infobox last updated on: June 7, 2007.

Da' Tara is an American thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2008 Belmont Stakes in an upset over Big Brown. Da' Tara was a 38-1 underdog entering the post at Belmont.^[1] He is trained by Nick Zito, his jockey is Alan Garcia, and his sire is Tiznow.

1 Two Year-Old Season
2 Three Year-Old Season
3 Notes
4 Video

[edit] Two Year-Old Season

Da'Tara's two-year old season was unremarkable. In his first race, a 7 furlong maiden race on the main track at Belmont Park, he was beaten by his stablemate, Anak Nakal, by a length, finishing second and beating the third place horse by a nose. Alan Garcia, who rode Da'Tara to victory in the 2008 Belmont Stakes, was also the jockey that day.

The colt failed to break his maiden as a two year-old, finishing fourth in a Calder maiden race in December.

[edit] Three Year-Old Season

In January 2008, Da' Tara would finally win a race, a nine furlong maiden race at Gulfstream. He won it in good form, and he was in front the whole race. He was entered in an allowance race shortly after, and he finished third, beaten by more than four lengths after dueling on the lead. Already based at Gulfstream Park, trainer Nick Zito decided to enter Da' Tara in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. It was a tough assignment for the colt, particularly as Da'Tara faced Zito's Fountain of Youth winner Cool Coal Man, South American Champion Tomcito, and Big Brown, who had all but crushed his competition in his two previous starts. Da' Tara finished 9th-23 1/2 lengths behind the winner, Big Brown.

Da'Tara ran in the Derby Trial, finishing fifth. In the Barbaro Stakes, at 8.5 furlongs, Da'Tara finished second behind Roman Emperor.

In the June 7, 2008 Belmont Stakes, Da' Tara, the longest shot in the field at 38-1 odds, moved swiftly to the lead under Alan Garcia and led wire to wire, winning by 5.5 lengths.

^[2] Da' Tara ($79) finished 1 1/2 miles, one lap at Belmont Park main track, in relatively slow time of 2:29.65 on a dirt track rated fast (with quarter-mile fractions of 23.82 seconds, 48.30, 1:12.90, 1:37.96, and 2:03.21).^[3]^[4]^[5]