Fusiachi Pegasus

  The death of the 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus at the age of 26 wouldn't ordinarily receive its own post, although "Fu Peg" would have certainly received a segment in the passings department of "Cleaning out the Inbox".

Pegasus was the most expensive yearling to be sold at auction at four million dollars in 1998, and after his racing career, Fusachi Pegasus was sold for stud duty for a still-record seventy million dollars to Coolmore Stud of Ireland, who stood him at their American stallion home, Ashford Stud in Kentucky, where he would stand for his entire North American career although he would be shuttled for service to various countries including Australia, Chile, and Uruguay.

Owner Fusao Sekiguchi's four million dollar purchase would never stand for a breeding season in Japan but at Japan's Northern Horse Park, a brilliant gold-plated full-sized statue of Fusiachi Pegasus stands in recognition of the 2000 Derby winner.

Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale and ridden by another Hall of Famer in Kent Desormeaux, Fusaichi Pegasus prepped for the Derby with two Grade II victories in the San Felipe Stakes at California's Santa Anita racetrack and followed up with another win in New York in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct before his win in Louisville as the first post-time favorite to win the Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979.

Fusiachi Pegasus defeated Aptitude by a length and a half in his Derby win and Pegasus's Derby winning time of 2:01.12 is currently the tenth fastest of all time in the Derby and he was a heavy favorite entering the Preakness but would finish second to Red Bullet by three and three-quarter lengths.

Without the Triple Crown to be won, Drysdale decided to skip the Belmont Stakes to order to concentrate on a fall campaign that would end in the Breeders Cup Classic and would win the Grade II Jerome Handicap in New York as his only prep for the Classic, where he would return to Louisville and finish sixth to Tiznow in his final race before retirement.

As a son of legendary sire Mr.Prospector from a Danzig mare (Angel Fever) Fusiachi Pegasus was expected to be a huge star at stud, considering the speed in his pedigree and showing ability to go the classic distance on the racetrack.

It didn't turn out that way as the Fusaichi Pegasus stud fee slowly declined from a starting point of $150,000 to end his stud career at $7,500.

Fusaichi Pegasus ran near the end of my intense following of thoroughbred racing, so I was a big fan of his but I also associate him with my late pal Teddy.

Why?

Well, I traveled to pick Teddy up on the morning of the 2000 Preakness as Pegasus was expected to win the second leg of the Triple Crown and it was mildly raining (which may have been a major reason that Red Bullet upset Pegasus on a Pimlico track rated as good not fast) as Ryan and I picked the little guy up.

It's hard to believe that it's been twenty-three years since that day and so much has changed both in and out of my life since my best buddy scrambled up those stairs for the first time.

I'll never forget that day or how much joy Teddy brought into my life and I'll always associate Fusaichi Pegasus and the 2000 Preakness with the dog that meant so much to me and always will.