{{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Gander , image = , caption = , sire = Cormorant , grandsire = His Majesty , dam = Lovely Nurse , damsire = Sawbones , 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 = 1996 , country = United States , colour =

Gray Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...

, breeder = Angela Rugnetta , owner = Gatsas Thoroughbreds , trainer = Charlie Assimakopoulos
John Terranova , record = 60: 15-10-9 , earnings = $1,824,011 , race = Albany Stakes (1999)
Empire Classic Handicap (1999, 2002)
Evan Shipman Handicap (2000)
Meadowlands Cup Handicap (2001)
Kings Point Handicap (2004) , awards= Champion New York Three-Year-Old (1999)
New York Horse of the Year (2000)
Champion New York Older Horse (2000) , honours = The

Gander Stakes The Gander Stakes is an ungraded stakes race for New York bred Thoroughbred race horses, three-years-old and older, run at Belmont Park or at Aqueduct Racetrack. The Gander serves as a prep for the Evan Shipman Handicap running at Belmont Park ...

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack locate ...

run in his honor. , updated= November 23, 2007 Gander (May 15, 1996 - December 7, 2022) was a

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 ...

race horse 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 ...

by Cormorant (who won eight of his twelve starts) out of Lovely Nurse (a hard-knocker who made one hundred and one starts) by Sawbones. His pedigree includes the top

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

horse Ribot, as well as

Tom Fool Tom Fool (March 31, 1949 – August 20, 1976) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1953 American Horse of the Year and was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame. He sired the champion racehorses Buckpasser and Tim Tam. B ...

Count Fleet Count Fleet (March 24, 1940 – December 3, 1973) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the sixth winner of the American Triple Crown. He won the Belmont Stakes by a then record margin of twenty-five lengths. After an undefeated ...

Bimelech Bimelech (February 27, 1937 – 1966) was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who won two Triple Crown races and was a Champion at both age two and three. He was ranked #84 among U.S. racehorses of the 20th century. After retiring to stud, he sired ...

Eight Thirty Eight Thirty (March 27, 1936 – April 7, 1965) was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. He was owned by George D. Widener, Jr. and bred by his Erdenheim Farm. Widener is one of only five people ever named an Exemplar of Racing. Ei ...

, Noor, and Hyperion. Gander is

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

-bred and spent almost his entire racing career of 60 starts in and around New York and

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

. Bred by Angela Rugnetta, and owned by Gatsas Thoroughbreds, Gander was originally trained by Charlie Assimakopoulos, and then by John Terranova. In seven seasons, he made 60 starts and won fifteen times, placed ten times, and came in third nine times, earning $1,824,011. As a two-year-old he placed in the

Damon Runyon Stakes The Damon Runyon Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race operated by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) at its Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens. First run in 1979, the annual event is currently contested on dirt over a dis ...

Aqueduct Race Track Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park and Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack located within New York City limits. Its racing ...

. At three, he won the Albany Stakes at the

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 ...

and the Empire Classic Handicap at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...

. He also placed in the Paterson Stakes and came third in the Sam F. Davis Stakes. At four, he won the Evan Shipman Handicap at Belmont, and came home second in the

Grade 1 First grade (also called Grade One, called ''Year 2'' in England or Primary 2 in Scotland) is the first grade in elementary school and the first school year after kindergarten. Children are usually 6–7 years old in this grade. Examples by re ...

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 s ...

to Albert the Great. He was third to

Lemon Drop Kid Lemon Drop Kid (foaled May 26, 1996) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Best known for winning the 1999 Belmont Stakes, he was also the champion older horse of 2000 after winning the Brooklyn, Suburban, Whitney Handicaps and the ...

in the Grade I

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 ...

. He was also third in the Grade II

Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap The Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap was a Grade II Thoroughbred race for horses three-years-old and up run on dirt at Saratoga Race Course in New York from 1994 through 2005. From 1994 through 1996, it was run as the Saratoga Cup Handicap, the nam ...

. Gander, with

John Velazquez John R. Velazquez (born November 24, 1971) is a Puerto Rican jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. He began his career in Puerto Rico and moved to New York in 1990. In 2004 and 2005 he was the United States Champion Jockey by earnings and both ye ...

aboard, also started in the 2000 $4 million

Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October o ...

in a field that included

Albert the Great Albertus Magnus (c. 1200 – 15 November 1280), also known as Saint Albert the Great or Albert of Cologne, was a German Dominican friar, philosopher, scientist, and bishop. Later canonised as a Catholic saint, he was known during his life ...

Captain Steve Captain Steve (March 1, 1997 – April 21, 2013) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by Roger Laubach, raised by Cecil "Buddy" Williams, owned by Michael E. Pegram, and trained by Bob Baffert. A Chestnut foal by Fly So Free o ...

Cat Thief Cat Thief (foaled January 30, 1996 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He is the son of Storm Cat, an outstanding Champion sire and the grandson of both the 20th Century's most important sire, Northern Dancer and whose damsire wa ...

Fusaichi Pegasus Fusaichi Pegasus (; foaled April 12, 1997) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2000 Kentucky Derby, and subsequently set a record at auction - selling for US$70M to Coolmore Stud. Background The colt was purchased as a y ...

Giant's Causeway The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (5 km) northeast of ...

, and

Tiznow Tiznow (foaled March 12, 1997 in California) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his wins in the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2000 and 2001, becoming the only horse to win this race twice. He was the 2000 American Horse of the Year an ...

. He came in ninth. Racing at the age of five, he won the Grade II Meadowlands Cup Handicap, placed in the Grade III New Hampshire Sweepstakes Handicap, and came third in the Grade I

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 distance ...

, and the Grade I

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 ...

to Lido Palace. At the age of six, with

Richard Migliore Richard Migliore (born March 14, 1964 in Babylon, New York) is a retired American jockey. He now works as a racing analyst for XBTV. He was nicknamed "The Mig," which is a type of Russian fighter jet, for his tenacious style of riding. He lives ...

up, he won the Empire classic for the second time, placed in the Woodward Stakes to Lido Palace, and placed in the Kings Point Handicap to Toddler. In the 2002

, Gander stumbled coming out of the gate and lost his jockey, Mike Smith. He ran around the track riderless and crossed the wire but was disqualified, with Evening Attire the official winner of the race. Seven in 2003, Gander came home second in the Empire Classic and third in the Grade III Stuyvesant Handicap. At eight, he took the Kings Point Handicap. In 1999, Gander was the Champion New York Three-Year-old. In 2000, he was the New York Horse of the Year and the Champion New York Older Horse. As a four-year-old in 2000, he was 3-1-2 from 11 starts with earnings of $388,290. Gander then lived at Stone Bridge Farm in

Schuylerville, New York Schuylerville () is a village in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The village is located in the northeastern part of the Town of Saratoga, east of Saratoga Springs. The Village of Victory is adjacent to Schuylerville to the southwest ...

. He died peacefully in his sleep due to the infirmities of old age on December 7, 2022.

References

Gander's pedigree and photo

Gander wins the 2002 Saratoga Breeders Cup Handicap - who needs a rider?

Gander's trainer John Terranova

1996 racehorse births Racehorses bred in New York (state) Thoroughbred family 6-a Racehorses trained in the United States