Keen Ice (

foal A foal is an equine up to one year old; this term is used mainly for horses, but can be used for donkeys. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, and are used until the horse is three or four. When the foal i ...

ed March 25, 2012) 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, best known for winning the 2015

Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Mid-Summer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds according to internation ...

in an upset win over Triple Crown Champion

American Pharoah American Pharoah (foaled February 2, 2012) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the American Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2015. He was the 12th Triple Crown winner in history, and in winning all four races, became the first ho ...

. He previously faced off against American Pharoah and other notable horses in the 2015 Kentucky Derby, finishing seventh, was third in the

2015 Belmont Stakes The 2015 Belmont Stakes (known as the 147th Belmont Stakes presented by DraftKings for sponsorship reasons) was the 147th in the Belmont Stakes series. The race, known as the "test of the champion" and sometimes called the "final jewel" in tho ...

, and was second in the 2015

Haskell Invitational Stakes The Haskell Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of miles on the dirt held annually in July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event is a signature event at Monmouth P ...

. Prior to the Travers, his only other win had been a maiden race at Churchill Downs as a two-year-old. After the Travers Stakes win, Keen Ice went on a 22-month losing streak, during which his most noteworthy accomplishments were fourth and third place finishes in the

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 ...

of 2015 and 2016 respectively. He finally returned to the winners circle in the 2017

Suburban Handicap The Suburban Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is now run at the mile distance on dirt for a $700,000 purse. Named after the City and Su ...

, then finished second in both the

Whitney Stakes 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

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 ...

. He was retired to stud at

Calumet Farm Calumet Farm is a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm established in 1924 in Lexington, Kentucky, United States by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Calumet is located in the heart of the Bluegras ...

in October 2017 after a minor injury. At stud, Keen Ice sired the 2022 Kentucky Derby winner

Rich Strike Rich Strike ( foaled April 25, 2019) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 2022 Kentucky Derby, racing at 80–1 odds. Rich Strike is the second-biggest longshot to have won the Kentucky Derby after Donerail (91–1 odds) in 1913 ...

, another upset winner who, at odds of 80-1, became the second longest shot in history to win the race.

Background

Keen Ice is a

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

horse with a white stocking on his left hind leg. He is a son of

Curlin Curlin (foaled March 25, 2004, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing, 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 ...

who was voted

American Horse of the Year The American Award for Horse of the Year, one of the Eclipse Awards, is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. Because Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has no governing body to sanction the various awards, "Hor ...

in 2008 and 2009. His dam Medomak, a daughter of

Awesome Again Awesome Again (March 29, 1994December 15, 2020) was a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse and stallion. As a three-year-old, he won the Queen's Plate in Canada and the Jim Dandy Stakes in the United States. He was undefeated at age four, scoring his ...

, finished unplaced on her only start. She was a distant descendant of The Oaks winner

Monade Monade were a French post-rock band which was initially a side project of Lætitia Sadier, a founding member of Stereolab. In 2009, Sadier retired the project name "Monade" and began performing under her own name. History In the late 1990s, the ...

who was the ancestor of several major winners including

Sadeem Sadeem (foaled 1983) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A specialist stayer, he won consecutive runnings of the Ascot Gold Cup in 1988 and 1989. His other victories included the Sagaro Stakes, Goodwood Cup, Pr ...

. Keen Ice was bred by Glencrest Farm and first sold as a

weanling A weanling is an animal that has just been weaned. The term is usually used to refer to a type of young horse, a foal that has been weaned, usually between six months and a year. Once it is a year old, the horse is referred to as a yearling. The w ...

for $48,000 at the 2012

Keeneland Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for it ...

breeding stock sale. He was sold again the following year, as a

yearling Yearling may refer to: *Yearling (horse), a horse between one and two years old *''The Yearling ''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the Mo ...

, for $120,000, purchased by

Jerry Crawford Gerald Joseph Crawford (born August 13, 1947) is a former umpire in Major League Baseball. He first umpired in the National League from 1977 to 1999, then worked in both major leagues from 2000 to 2010. Career He was a crew chief from 1998 thro ...

, acting as the agent for Donegal Racing, an Iowa-based horse racing syndicate with about 25 members, led by Crawford. Inspired by

, the name of his sire, Keen Ice was named for a term in the sport of

curling Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns sliding ...

, describing ice that is particularly fast (or "keen") allowing a rock to travel further over it given the same amount of force.

Racing career

2014: two-year-old-season

Keen Ice was placed into training with

Dale Romans Dale L. Romans (born August 14, 1966 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer, best known for winning the 2011 Preakness Stakes with Shackleford and the Breeders' Cup Turf with Little Mike. He also upset American Pha ...

. He showed promise in his four races as a two-year-old, winning a

maiden race In horse racing a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the se ...

on his second start and later finishing third in the

Grade II 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 ...

Remsen Stakes The Remsen Stakes is an American Grade II race for Thoroughbred horse race run annually near the end of November at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. The one and one-eighths mile race is open to two-year-olds and currently offers a purse of ...

2015: three-year-old-season

On the 2015 Road to the Kentucky Derby, Keen Ice earned 22 qualifying points with a third-place finish in the 2014

as a two-year-old, another third in February as a three-year-old in the 2015

Risen Star Stakes The Risen Star Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt run annually in February, usually during the President's Day weekend at Fair Grounds Race Course i ...

and a fourth-place finish in the

Louisiana Derby The Louisiana Derby is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Run in late March, the race is open to horses, age three, willing to race miles on the dirt. It currently o ...

. However, he only earned a spot in the starting gate for 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 ...

after the 20th-qualifying horse, Madefromlucky, was not entered. After being trapped on the rail early on, he was held up behind other horses before responding willingly in the stretch to finish seventh. He skipped the

2015 Preakness Stakes The 2015 Preakness Stakes, (run as the '' Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes'' due to sponsorship), was the 140th running of the Preakness Stakes, promoted as the "middle jewel"2015 Belmont Stakes The 2015 Belmont Stakes (known as the 147th Belmont Stakes presented by DraftKings for sponsorship reasons) was the 147th in the Belmont Stakes series. The race, known as the "test of the champion" and sometimes called the "final jewel" in tho ...

, where he finished third by a neck, notably after being five wide at the top of the stretch. His next race was the

Haskell Invitational The Haskell Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of miles on the dirt held annually in July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event is a signature event at Monmouth P ...

, where he finished a fast-finishing second by lengths to

, and three lengths ahead of the rest of the field. Throughout his races, he was noted for his stamina-infused pedigree, late closing style and willingness; his low placings not viewed as reflecting the strong efforts he put forth in his races. Entering the

, trainer Romans was confident. Having switched jockeys from

Kent Desormeaux Kent Jason Desormeaux (born February 27, 1970) is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year with 598 wins in 1989. He has won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes t ...

Javier Castellano Javier Castellano (born October 23, 1977, in Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela) is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Castellano began his riding career in 1996 at Santa Rita and La Rinconada racecourses in Venezuela. In June 1997 he ...

, Romans told the press prior to the race that he was grateful to the

New York Racing Association The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest Thoroughbred horse racing tracks in the state of New York, United States: Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens; Belmont Park ...

for capping 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 ...

attendance at 50,000 people, thus limiting the numbers there to boo Keen Ice after he defeated Triple Crown champion American Pharoah. His prediction of a win proved accurate when the colt went off at 16-1, stalking front runners American Pharoah and Frosted before taking the lead at the sixteenth pole and winning by about of a length. Romans was however surprised by the crowd's reaction to the upset. "They cheered American Pharoah and us," he said. "That was a good feeling about the game and what we do, that people are so knowledgeable and have so much respect for these animals." In his two subsequent races as a three-year-old, Keen Ice finished twelve and a half lengths behind American Pharoah when fourth in the

and then finished fourth behind the four-year-old Effinex in the

Clark Handicap The Clark Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Among the oldest races in the United States, it was first run in 1875, the year the racetrack opened for business. C ...

at Churchill Downs on November 27.

2016: four-year-old-season

On his first appearance as a four-year-old, Keen Ice finished sixth in the

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 was then shipped to Dubai to contest the

Al Maktoum Challenge, Round 3 The Al Maktoum Challenge, Round 3, is a horse race run over a distance of 2,000 metres (one and a quarter miles) on dirt in March at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. It is the third of three races in the Al Maktoum Challenge series which serve as trial ...

over ten furlongs on dirt at

Meydan Racecourse Meydan Racecourse is a racecourse in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The grandstand is over a mile in length, and can accommodate over 60,000 spectators. Meydan opened on 27 March 2010, replacing Nad Al Sheba Racecourse, which formerly occupi ...

on March 6. He was made second favorite but started poorly and was never in contention, finishing seventh of the twelve runners, more than eleven lengths behind the winner Special Fighter. Following an eighth place finish in the

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 wher ...

, Keen Ice was transferred from the barn of Dale Romans to

Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher (born June 26, 1967 in Dallas, Texas) is an American thoroughbred horse trainer. He won the Eclipse Award seven times as Trainer of the Year, four of these in consecutive years. His horses Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (20 ...

and laid up for six months. He returned in an allowance optional claiming race at Belmont Park on October 7, finishing third. He completed his season with a third place finish in the

and a second place finish in the Harlan's Holiday Stakes at

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 ...

2017: five-year-old-season

Keen Ice made his first start of 2017 on January 28 in the inaugural

Pegasus World Cup The Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race whose first running was on January 28, 2017 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. It is run over the dirt at the distance of miles (9 furlongs) and is o ...

at Gulfstream Park, finishing fourth. On the week of the race, owner Jerry Crawford announced that Keen Ice's breeding rights had been sold to

. The agreement with Calumet allowed Keen Ice to continue racing until the end of 2017. In March, Keen Ice was shipped to Meydan Racecourse where he finished seventh in his a second try at the Dubai World Cup. On returning to the United States, Pletcher gave Keen Ice some time off at Calumet Farm, then entered him in the

at Belmont Park on July 8. In the early part of the race, Keen Ice raced at the back of the field of five behind a very slow pace, then started to make up ground around the turn. Shaman Ghost, the odds-on favorite, moved to the lead as they entered the stretch with Keen Ice advancing steadily on the outside. Down the stretch, Keen Ice made a sustained drive and pulled away to win by three lengths. "I know that Shaman Ghost is a really good horse but how the race developed, my horse pulled me really close to him," said jockey Jose Ortiz. "I thought I was going to be a little farther (behind). When we hit the three-eighths pole, I was right next to (Shaman Ghost), on his heels, without asking, so I was in a very good position. Keen Ice gave me everything he had. He was full of run today." Keen Ice made his next start in the

on August 5 at Saratoga, where he made a late run to finish second to heavy favorite

Gun Runner Arms trafficking or gunrunning is the illicit trade of contraband small arms and ammunition, which constitutes part of a broad range of illegal activities often associated with transnational criminal organizations. The illegal trade of small ar ...

. On October 7, he again finished second, this time to Diversify in the

. He was training for his third appearance in the Breeders' Cup Classic when he wrenched his ankle, resulting in his retirement.

Stud career

Keen Ice stands at

for a service fee of $7,500 in 2022.

Notable progeny

''c =

colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: *Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People * Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places *Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...

, f =

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

, g =

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 ...

Pedigree

References

{{reflist 2012 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 13-d