Gayego, (March 26, 2005 — August 31, 2022), was 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 Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

. A descendant of the

Nearco Nearco (January 24, 1935 – June 27, 1957) was an Italian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by ''Thoroughbred Heritage'' as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He ...

, his sire is the 1992 Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner and Eclipse Award winner for American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt,

Gilded Time Gilded Time (6 February 1990 — 7 December 2021) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and sire (horse), sire. He was a leading American two-year-old in 1992, and at the end of the season was voted American Champion Two-Year-Old ...

. His dam is the mare Devil's Lake, a daughter of Lost Code. Hargus and Sandra Sexton bred Gayego 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 ...

Racing Career (2007)

Gayego made his racing debut as a two-year-old on November 18 in a winning effort in a maiden special weight race at

Hollywood Park Hollywood Park may refer to: Places United States * Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California * Hollywood Park, Chicago, a neighborhood in North Park, Chicago, Illinois * Hollywood Park, Inglewood, an entertainment complex and m ...

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

. On December 28, he won an allowance race at

Santa Anita Racetrack Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...

Arcadia, California Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of th ...

Racing Career (2008)

Gayego made his three-year-old debut on January 20 with a win in the San Pedro Stakes at Santa Anita. He then finished a close second to Georgie Boy in the

Grade 2 Grade 2 may refer to: * Grade 2, the second year of primary education. * Grade 2 horse races, the second tier in worldwide horse racing. * Grade 2, the English punk band. Grade II may refer to: * Grade II listed buildings that are of special inter ...

San Felipe Stakes The San Felipe Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade II event open to three-year-old horses. Normally held in early -March, it is raced at a distance of one and one ...

on March 18. Gayego made his first start outside of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

in the Grade 2 Arkansas Derby on April 12 at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was also his first start on a conventional dirt surface. After contesting the early pace, Gayego took the lead around the final turn and then held off a late bid from Z Fortune to win by three-quarters of a length. He participated in the 134th running of the

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 ...

on May 3 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 ...

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

. Even though he was one of the favorites at the 2008

, he finished 17th in the field. He was again among the betting favorites in the

2008 Preakness Stakes The 2008 Preakness Stakes was the 133rd running of the Preakness Stakes thoroughbred horse race. The race time was at 6:15 pm North American Eastern Time Zone, EDT and was televised in the United States on the NBC Sports, NBC television netw ...

, but failed to finish in the money after taking the early lead, ending up 11th of 12. On November 30, 2008, Gayego set a track record of 1:13.37 for 6½ furlongs at

Hollywood Park Racetrack Hollywood Park was a thoroughbred race course located in Inglewood, California, about 3 miles (5 km) from Los Angeles International Airport and adjacent to the Forum indoor arena. In 1994, the original Hollywood Park Casino was added to the ...

. In December he was sold to trainer, A. C. Avila who shortly thereafter sold him to Godolphin Racing.

Racing Career (2009)

Racing at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

, Gayego finished second in the

Godolphin Mile The Godolphin Mile is a Group 2 flat Thoroughbred horse race in the United Arab Emirates for Southern Hemisphere three-year-old horses and Northern Hemisphere four-year-olds. It is contested on dirt over a distance of 1,600 metres (approximately 8 ...

and won the Group 3 Mahab Al Shimal - Dayjur Sent back to the United States, in October, at Santa Anita Park in

, he won the Grade 1

Ancient Title Stakes The Santa Anita Sprint Championship is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old or older over the distance of six furlongs on the dirt scheduled annually in September at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. ...

which earned him a berth in November's Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Racing Career (2010 and 2011)

Gayego won the Presque Island Mile Stakes in September 2010.

Stud career

Gayego entered Stud in 2012 where he stood at Norse Ridge Farm in King city Ontario Canada. He moved to Bar None Ranches in DeWinton, Alberta Canada for the 2013 season. Gayego died from colic August 31, 2022 and died at 17, according to Bar None Ranches in Alberta, Canada.

References

{{reflist, 2 2005 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Racehorses trained in the United Arab Emirates Thoroughbred family 8-f American Grade 1 Stakes winners 2022 racehorse deaths