Mr. Prospector

Mr. Prospector (January 28, 1970 – June 1, 1999) was a Thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Kentucky whose descendants have dominated the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. He won half of his 14 career races.

Background

Mr. Prospector's sire was Raise a Native, a son of Native Dancer. He was out of the mare Gold Digger, a daughter of Nashua. A $200,000 yearling in 1971, "Mr. P", as he came to be known, was trained by Jimmy Croll, a Hall of Fame member who went on to train Holy Bull.

At maturity, he reached 16 hands (64 inches, 163 cm) high.^[2]

Racing career

Mr. Prospector was a contemporary of Secretariat. He did not contest the Triple Crown, but he proved successful over sprint distances. Mr. Prospector won the Gravesend Handicap and the Whirlaway Handicap and set track records for six furlongs (1,207 m) at Gulfstream Park and Garden State.

Stud career

Mr. Prospector sired one winner of each of the Triple Crown races, a feat his grandson, Unbridled, has also accomplished. His Triple Crown race winners were 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus; 1985 Preakness Stakes winner Tank's Prospect; and 1982 Belmont Stakes winner and Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year Conquistador Cielo.

On June 1, 1999, Mr. Prospector died in his stall of complications from colic at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. He was buried between Nijinsky and Secretariat.

Progeny

Mr. Prospector's male-line descendents with Triple Crown races won:

• Mr. Prospector
  • Fappiano (foaled 1977)
    • Cryptoclearance (1984)
      • Victory Gallop (1995) 1998 Belmont Stakes
    • Quiet American (1986)
      • Real Quiet (1995) 1998 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes
    • Unbridled (1987) 1990 Kentucky Derby
      • Grindstone (1993) 1996 Kentucky Derby
        • Birdstone (2001) 2004 Belmont Stakes
          • Mine That Bird (2006) 2009 Kentucky Derby
          • Summer Bird (2006) 2009 Belmont Stakes
      • Red Bullet (1997) 2000 Preakness Stakes
      • Empire Maker (2000) 2003 Belmont Stakes
  • Conquistador Cielo (1979) 1982 Belmont Stakes
  • Tank's Prospect (1982) 1985 Preakness Stakes
  • Woodman (1983) (has sired 94 stakes winners)
    • Hansel (1988) 1991 Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes
    • Timber Country (1992) 1995 Preakness Stakes
  • Gulch (1984)
    • Thunder Gulch (1992) 1995 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes
      • Point Given (1998) 2001 Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes
  • Gone West (1984)
    • Elusive Quality (1993)
      • Smarty Jones (2001) 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes
    • Commendable (1997) 2000 Belmont Stakes
  • Afleet (1984)
    • Northern Afleet (1993)
      • Afleet Alex (2002) 2005 Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes
  • Forty Niner (1985)
    • Editor's Note (1993) 1996 Belmont Stakes
    • Distorted Humor (1993)
      • Funny Cide (2000) 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes
      • Flower Alley (2002)
        • I'll Have Another (2009) 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes
      • Drosselmeyer (2007) 2010 Belmont Stakes
  • Seeking the Gold (1985)
    • Jazil (2003) 2006 Belmont Stakes
  • Machiavellian (1987)
    • Street Cry (1998)
      • Street Sense (2004) 2007 Kentucky Derby
  • Kingmambo (1990)
    • Lemon Drop Kid (1996) 1999 Belmont Stakes
  • Our Emblem (1991)
    • War Emblem (1999) 2002 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes
  • Smart Strike (1992)
    • Curlin (2004) 2007 Preakness Stakes
      • Palace Malice (2010) 2013 Belmont Stakes
    • Lookin at Lucky (2007) 2010 Preakness Stakes
  • Fusaichi Pegasus (1997) 2000 Kentucky Derby
    • Roman Ruler (2002)
      • Ruler on Ice (2008) 2011 Belmont Stakes
  • Ormsby (1992) Graded Stakes Winner

Pedigree

References

• Hunter, Avalyn (2007). Gold Rush : How Mr. Prospector Became Racing's Billion-Dollar Sire. Eclipse Press. ISBN 978-1-58150-173-5. 

External links

• About Mr. Prospector
• Forbes America's Most Valuable Studs