Gentlemen (foaled 1992) is an Argentinian
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 ...
. He was the Champion Three-Year-Old Colt in Argentina and then raced successfully in the United States.
Background
Gentlemen is a chestnut horse bred at the Haras de la Pomme in Argentina. He was sired by Robin des Bois, an American-bred, French-trained son of
Nureyev.
Racing career
Racing at age three in 1995, Gentlemen won the
Gran Premio Nacional, (Argentine Derby) and
Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos (Argentine 2000 Guineas).
Gentlemen was brought to race in the United States in 1996, under
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 ...
trainer Richard Mandella
Richard Eugene Mandella (born November 5, 1950 in Altadena, California), is a Thoroughbred horse trainer and a member of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame.
Mandella's father, a blacksmith, introduced him to horses at an early age and while still in ...
. Although he was ineligible for the
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...
, Gentlemen met with considerable success. In 1997 he was arguably the best racehorse in North America. On May 10 he captured the
Pimlico Special
The Pimlico Special is a Grade 3 American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of miles ( furlongs) held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland in mid May. The race currently offers a purse of $300,000.
...
at
Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Ol ...
in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
conceding three pounds to
Skip Away
Skip Away (April 4, 1993 – May 14, 2010), was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1998 Horse of the Year, 1996 Champion Three-Year-Old, and 1997 and 1998 Champion Handicap Horse. He won 10 Grade One races for $9,616,360 in ...
. In June he won the
Hollywood Gold Cup
The Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in May. The race currently offers a purse of $400,000. ...
by four lengths from the Brazilian champion Siphon with the future
Arlington Million
The Arlington Million is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for thoroughbred horses aged three years and upward on the turf. It was originally raced at the now-closed Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois over a distance of m ...
winner Marlin a further five and a quarter lengths back in fourth. In August he won the
Pacific Classic Stakes
The Pacific Classic Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older over a distance of one and one quarter miles on the dirt track scheduled annually in August at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The even ...
at Del Mar, beating Siphon by two and three quarter lengths. He was less successful as a six-year-old in 1998, producing his best performance when second to
Wagon Limit in the
Jockey Club Gold Cup
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the sp ...
.
In 1998 he was entered into the Classic at the
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...
, with
Richard Mandella
Richard Eugene Mandella (born November 5, 1950 in Altadena, California), is a Thoroughbred horse trainer and a member of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame.
Mandella's father, a blacksmith, introduced him to horses at an early age and while still in ...
as trainer, though Gentlemen ended up not competing because of an injury.
[
]
Racing statistics
Stud record
In 1999, Gentlemen began
stud
Stud may refer to the following terms:
Animals
* Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding
** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred
Arts and entertainment
* Stud (band), a British progressive rock group
* The Stud (bar), a gay bar ...
duty at Walmac Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, where he met with modest success. In late 2007, he was purchased by Elite Stables, LLC and moved to Elite Thoroughbreds in Folsom, Louisiana. His 2008 stud fee was listed at a special introductory fee of $1500.
Pedigree
Gentlemen is inbred 4S × 4D to Graustark, meaning Graustark appears in the fourth generation on both the sire and dam's side of the pedigree. Gentlemen is also inbred to Northern Dancer 3S × 4D.
References
{{reflist
1992 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in Argentina
Racehorses trained in Argentina
Racehorses trained in the United States
American Grade 1 Stakes winners
Thoroughbred family 7-a