Sunny's Halo

Sunny's Halo (February 11, 1980 – June 3, 2003) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who became only the second Canadian-bred to win the Kentucky Derby and who as of 2006 is the all-time leading sire by progeny earnings in the state of Texas.

Foaled at Oshawa, Ontario, Sunny's Halo was owned and bred by Toronto stockbroker David J. Foster. The horse won 7 of 11 races at age two but stress fractures in both front shins ended his season earlier than planned. Nonetheless, his performance earned him a 1982 Sovereign Award. In an attempt to heal the ankle problem, he was one of the first horses to be treated in an indoor swimming pool designed especially for horses.

At age three, Sunny's Halo won the Arkansas Derby and then, with jockey Eddie Delahoussaye aboard, he captured the Kentucky Derby against a very strong field. After the race, he developed a rash and a return of the sore ankle affected his performance. The colt finished 6th in the Preakness Stakes and 4th in the Arlington Classic. Unable to compete in the June 26, 1983 Queen's Plate, he was back on the track in good heath in the fall. In October he equaled the Louisiana Downs track record for 1¼ miles in winning the Super Derby by 12 lengths. He was scheduled to compete for the final time in November's Meadowlands Cup but the recurring ankle problem ended his career.

Syndicated for $7.5 million, Sunny's Halo was retired to stand at stud at Domino Stud in Lexington, Kentucky. He eventually went to a Texas breeding farm where he became that state's all-time leading sire by progeny earnings.

Sunny's Halo died in 2003 and was buried at the Double S Thoroughbred Farm in Bullard, Texas where he last stood at stud. However, in July 2006, his remains were exhumed and returned to Louisville, Kentucky to be re-interred at the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs.

References

• New York Times article on Sunny's Halo
• Sunny's Halo's pedigree and stats
• Sunny's Halo at the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
• YouTube video of Sunny's Halo winning the 1983 Kentucky Derby