Proud Truth

Proud Truth (1982-2005) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He is most notable for his win in the 1985 Breeders' Cup Classic.

Background

Proud Truth was bred by Dorothy Galbreath, wife of prominent horseman John W. Galbreath, at their Darby Dan Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. He was trained by John M. Veitch.

Racing career

Proud Truth made two winning starts at age two. At three, he was one of the early favorites for the Kentucky Derby after he won the Fountain of Youth Stakes, the Flamingo Stakes in which he was disqualified to second (Note: Proud Truth originally finished second in the Flamingo, but was placed first on the disqualification of Chief's Crown. The owners of Chief's Crown appealed to the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, which overturned the disqualification), and then won the Florida Derby. However, he was a horse that would be plagued by injuries and after finishing second in the Wood Memorial Stakes, his handlers believed he had a chance in the Triple Crown races. In the Kentucky Derby, he had a rough trip in the thirteen-horse field and finished fifth to Spend A Buck. He did not compete in the Preakness Stakes, instead focusing on the longest of the Triple Crown races, the Belmont Stakes. As a tune-up, Proud Truth won the Peter Pan Stakes but suffered a fracture in his left front leg and was unable to race in the Belmont Stakes.

Recovered from his injury, Proud Truth returned to racing in the fall of 1985 with a win in the Discovery Handicap. In the Breeders' Cup Classic he was sent off as the fifth betting choice in an eight-horse field. Under jockey Jorge Velasquez, he came from last place to win the race with a powerful stretch run, defeating a strong field that included heavy favorite Chief's Crown, Gate Dancer, Turkoman, and Vanlandingham.

Proud Truth returned to racing at age four in 1986. Of his eight starts, his best performances were a second by a nose in the Grade I Gulfstream Park Handicap and a win in his debut on turf in the Tidal Handicap at Belmont Park. Unfortunately he came out of the race with an injury and was retired to stud duty at Darby Dan Farm for the 1987 season.

Stud record

In 1991, Proud Truth was sent to stand at Corbett Farm near Monkton, Maryland then in 1999 to Haras Cerro Punta in Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Panama for new owner Fernando Eleta Almarán. He sired a number of North American stakes winners including Truth of It All who was voted the 1992 Canadian Sovereign Award for Champion 2-Year-Old Male Horse. In Panama he met with considerable success, siring six champions, including Spago who won the 2004 Panamanian Triple Crown and was voted Horse of the Year honors.

Proud Truth died at Haras Cerro Punta on August 15, 2005 following a bout of severe colic. He is buried there in a pasture.

References

• Proud Truth's pedigree and partial racing stats
• Proud Truth's offspring at the Triple Crown database by Kathleen Irwin and Joy
• Proud Truth at Haras Cerro Punta
• Proud Truth's obituary at Thoroughbred Times