{{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Brass Hat , image = , caption = Brass Hat in the Suffolk Downs paddock before the
start of the 2007

Massachusetts Handicap The Massachusetts Handicap, frequently referred to as the "MassCap", was a flat thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and up held annually at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was an ungraded stakes race run ...

, sire =

Prized Prized (May 20, 1986 – July 20, 2014) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Prized was bred in Florida by Meadowbrook Farm who raced him in partnership with Clover Racing Stable. He was by the very successful sire Kris S., a s ...

, grandsire =

Kris S. Kris S. (foaled April 25, 1977 – May 7, 2002) was an American Thoroughbred race horse who is best known as a highly successful sire. Background Kris S. was a son of the 1972 Epsom Derby winner Roberto who was a sire of international influenc ...

, dam = Brassy , damsire =

Dixie Brass Dixie Brass (1989–2002) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was one of the leading middle-distance runners in the United States in 1992. Bred in Kentucky by John W. Rooker, he was sold at the Keeneland September Yearling sales and again ...

, sex =

Gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...

, foaled = 2001 , country =

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, colour = Bay , breeder = Fred F. Bradley , owner = Fred F. Bradley , trainer = William "Buff" Bradley , record = 39-10-8-5-69 (ongoing) , earnings = $2,167,919 (ongoing) , race =

Indiana Derby The Indiana Derby is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of miles on the dirt held annually in July at Horseshoe Indianapolis in Shelbyville, Indiana. It is the racetrack's signature event offering ...

(2004)

Ohio Derby The Ohio Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid-to-late June at Thistledown in North Randall, Ohio. The Grade III stakes for three-year-olds is run on dirt over a distance of 1 miles. The race currently offers a purs ...

(2004)
Rushaway Stakes (2004)
New Orleans Handicap (2006)

Donn Handicap The Donn Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1959 through 2016 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. A race for horses age four and older, it was contested on turf from inception through 1964 at a distan ...

(2006)

(2007)
Louisville Handicap (2009)

Sycamore Stakes The Sycamore Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds or older, over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in October at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky during the autumn meeting. The event c ...

(2010) , awards= , honours = , updated= May 23, 2009 Brass Hat (foaled May 22, 2001 in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

) is an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse.

Background

Brass Hat is out of the

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

Brassy and sired by

, winner of the 1989 Breeders' Cup Turf and a son of the highly successful sire

Kris S Kris S. (foaled April 25, 1977 – May 7, 2002) was an American Thoroughbred race horse who is best known as a highly successful sire. Background Kris S. was a son of the 1972 Epsom Derby winner Roberto who was a sire of international influenc ...

. Bred and raced by Fred F. Bradley of

Frankfort, Kentucky Frankfort is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States, and the seat of Franklin County. It is a home rule-class city; the population was 28,602 at the 2020 census. Located along the Kentucky River, Frankfort is the prin ...

, Brass Hat is trained by his son William "Buff" Bradley.

Racing career

After a successful three-year-old season in 2004, Brass Hat won once in two starts in 2005. In 2006 he won two of four starts. He set a new

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...

track record of 1:47.79 for 9

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...

s in the

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. He finished second to Electrocutionist in the March 25th

Dubai World Cup The Dubai World Cup (Arabic: كأس دبي العالمي) is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and contested at the Meydan Racecourse (Arabic: ميدان) which in Arabic suggests a place wh ...

but was disqualified after a post-race test revealed trace amounts of the banned drug methyl prednisolone acetate. While owner Fred Bradley did not dispute the positive test, he asserted that the therapeutic medication given the horse 28 days prior to the World Cup was well within the guidelines put out by the Emirates Racing Association. The disqualification was upheld on appeal. In mid summer, Brass Hat suffered a sesamoid fracture that kept him out of racing for several months. Returning to the track in 2007, Brass Hat set another track record at

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

, winning an 8.5 furlong race in 1:41.27. He then finished eighth in the

Whitney Handicap The Whitney Stakes (run as the Whitney Handicap through 2013 and still sometimes referred to as such) is an American Grade 1 stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and older run at a distance of miles. The current purse is $1, ...

and sixth in the

Woodward Stakes The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. It is named for prominent racehorse owner William Woodward. The race was first run in 1954 at Aqueduct Rac ...

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actua ...

but returned to winning form in September when he captured the

. He then finished eighth in the 2007

Fayette Stakes The Fayette Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt held annually in October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during the fall meeti ...

and second Clark Handicap. Returning to the track in 2008, the then seven-year-old gelding brought in a strong performance in the grade 1

, a race that he had won two years before, finishing fourth. Then he headed to Fairgrounds, to race in the New Orleans Handicap, where he once again finished fourth. He also finished third in the Fifth Third Elkhorn Stakes, fourth in the Louisville Handicap, fifth in the

Stephen Foster Handicap The Stephen Foster Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt run annually in mid-June at Churchill Downs Spring Meet in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is named in ...

to two time Horse of the Year

Curlin Curlin (foaled March 25, 2004, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the American Horse of the Year in both 2007 and 2008. He retired in 2008 as the highest North American money earner with over US$10.5 million accumu ...

, eighth in the Dust Commander Stakes, and just recently, fifth in the grade 2 Muniz Handicap. On May 23, 2009, after going winless since September 2007, Brass Hat took the Louisville Handicap under Calvin Borel (winner of 2009's

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday ...

and

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

). With this win, the 8-year-old gelding nears the two million mark in earnings. And then at the age of 9, on October 21, 2010, he took the

taking him over 2 million dollars.

References

Brass Hat's pedigree and partial racing stats

Brass Hat's official website

June 27, 2006 Bloodhorse.com article titled ''Emirates Appeals Panel Upholds Brass Hat Disqualification''
2001 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 8-c