Orb (foaled February 24, 2010 in Kentucky)
is a champion 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 ...
who won the
2013 Kentucky Derby.
Background
Orb is a bay colt with a small white
star
A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...
bred and owned by Stuart S. Janney III and
Phipps Stable
Ogden Mills "Dinny" Phipps (September 18, 1940 – April 6, 2016) was an American financier, Thoroughbred racehorse industry executive, and horse breeder. Widely known by the nickname "Dinny," he was chairman of the family's Bessemer Trust until ...
. He was sired by Malibu Moon, whose other progeny include the Grade I winners
Declan's Moon
Declan's Moon (foaled 2002 in Maryland) is a retired American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was the leading American two-year-old of 2004, a year in which he was undefeated. His subsequent career was restricted by injuries.
Background
Foa ...
,
Devil May Care, Life At Ten (
Beldame Stakes
The Beldame Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares three-years-old and up. Inaugurated in 1939, it was run as a handicap prior to 1960. The race is held annually near the beginning of October at Belmont Park and curre ...
) and Malibu Prayer (
Ruffian Handicap). His
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
, Lady Liberty, was sired by the 1990 Kentucky Derby winner
Unbridled
Unbridled (March 5, 1987 – October 18, 2001) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic.
He retired with a career record of eight wins, six places, and six shows in 24 starts, ...
. Lady Liberty won four races in 12 starts and was retired from racing in 2005. Orb is her only stakes winner out of five live foals. On his dam's side, Orb is descended from Laughter, a sister of the outstanding racemare
Ruffian.
Orb was trained by the veteran
Claude R. "Shug" McGaughey, III, who had handled the previous Phipps champions
Easy Goer
Easy Goer (March 21, 1986 – May 12, 1994) was an American Champion Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse known for earning American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt honors in 1988 and defeating 1989 American Horse of the Year Sunday Silence in th ...
and
Personal Ensign
Personal Ensign (April 27, 1984 – April 8, 2010) was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who retired undefeated with 13 wins. At the time, this was the longest win streak for a horse at the elite level of American racing in 80 years. Her come ...
.
Racing career
2012: Two-year-old season
It took Orb four tries to break his maiden. In his first career start, Orb finished third in a maiden special weight race run at Saratoga. and finished fourth in another maiden special weight race 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 ...
in September. He was fourth in another maiden special weight race at
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 ...
. He finally broke his maiden a few weeks later on November 24 at
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 ...
.
2013: Three-year-old season
Orb began his three-year-old season by winning an allowance race 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 ...
over nine furlongs on January 26. Four weeks later, on February 23, Orb was moved up in class to contest the Grade II
Fountain of Youth Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream Park. Ridden by
John R. Velazquez, he won the race by half a length, defeating the odds-on favorite Violence. On March 30, Orb started as the 29/10 second favorite for the Grade I
Florida Derby
The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Since 2005, it has been run five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, which is held on the first Saturd ...
. He was settled in fifth place before moving up on the outside to take the lead inside the final furlong and won by 2 3/4 lengths from Itsmyluckyday.
On May 4, 2013, Orb, ridden by
Joel Rosario
Joel Rosario (born January 14, 1985) is a Champion jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing, originally from the Dominican Republic. In the space of five weeks in 2013 he rode the winners of the Dubai World Cup and the Kentucky Derby. More rec ...
, started as the favorite for the
139th Kentucky Derby. Rosario positioned the colt toward the rear of the 19-horse field in the early stages as the outsider Palace Malice set a fast pace. From half distance, Orb began to make progress on the outside and turned into the straight just behind the leaders. Normandy Invasion took the lead from Palace Malice, but Orb continued to make ground in the center of the sloppy track. The favorite took the lead 1/16 of a mile from home and pulled away to win by 2 1/2 lengths from Golden Soul in a final time of 2:02:89. McGaughey, who had just won the race for the first time, said, "I've always dreamed of this day and it finally came... I'm thrilled for the people who put in so much time on this horse, and of course I'm thrilled for me."
Orb started as the 3/5 favorite for the
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 ...
two weeks later after looking impressive in training. In the race, however, he was never able to mount a challenge and finished fourth behind the upset winner
Oxbow __NOTOC__
An oxbow is a U-shaped metal pole (or larger wooden frame) that fits the underside and the sides of the neck of an ox or wikt:bullock, bullock. A bow pin holds it in place.
The term "oxbow lake, oxbow" is widely used to refer to a U-sh ...
. At the
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...
on June 8, Orb started as the 11/5 favorite against 13 opponents. Rosario held the colt up at the rear of the field and made steady progress in the last half mile. He was never able to reach the lead and finished third behind
Palace Malice
Palace Malice (foaled May 2, 2010) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2013 Belmont Stakes. After winning one minor race as a two-year-old he made steady improvement in the early part of 2013, being placed in the Ris ...
and Oxbow.
After a break of well over two months spent at the
Fair Hill Training Center
Fair Hill Training Center is a racehorse training center based in Fair Hill, Maryland, Fair Hill, Maryland. It was owned by William du Pont, Jr. of the well-known Du Pont family, who bought the land in 1926. Dupont invested a substantial amount of ...
, Orb returned for the
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 ...
at
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 ...
on August 24 when his opponents included Palace Malice and the
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 ...
winner
Verrazano. Ridden by
Jose Lezcano
Jose Lezcano (born April 20, 1985 in Panama) is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. He rides in New York in the spring, summer and fall and spends the winter in Florida. His big break came in 2008 when he won a Breeders' Cup race.
Car ...
, Orb took the lead a 1/4 mile from the finish but was overtaken in the closing stages and finished third behind
Will Take Charge
Will Take Charge (foaled April 13, 2010) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the horse is best known for his wins in the 2013 Travers Stakes and Clark Handicap and for being beaten by a nose in the 2013 Breede ...
and Moreno. McGaughey said, "He ran a good race. You can't cry over spilled milk. We got him back on the right track, and now we'll point for something else."
Orb returned on September 28 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 which he was matched against older horses. He finished last of the eight runners behind
Ron the Greek
Ron the Greek (foaled May 9, 2007) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse, winner of the 2013 Jockey Club Gold Cup .
Career
Ron the Greek's first race was on October 11, 2009 at Hoosier Park, which he won.
Ron grabbed his first graded race win ...
. On November 5, 2013, he was officially retired from racing and returned to
Claiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since.
...
, where he had been
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, to stand at stud as a breeding stallion for the 2014 season.
Stud career
Orb stood at stud at Claiborne Farm, in Paris, Ky. with a 2020 stud fee of $10,000. Orb has also been syndicated, and all of the members have breeding rights relating to the number of shares they hold. He was bred to approximately 105 mares in 2014.
He resided in the same paddock in which Triple Crown winner
Secretariat
Secretariat may refer to:
* Secretariat (administrative office)
* Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is the ninth winne ...
once resided.
On June 11, 2017, Orb was represented by his first winner as a sire when his son Earth won a maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park at first asking. In the five-furlong turf race, Earth ran down a filly named Pocket Book to win by a neck.
In April 2021, Orb was purchased by a group of Uruguayan breeders to stand at stud Haras Cuatro Piedras, a farm owned by Uruguayan Breeders Association president Pablo Salomone.
In popular culture
Since winning the Kentucky Derby in 2013, Orb has been referenced in several episodes of the
Maximum Fun
Maximum Fun is an independent podcast and radio show production organization founded and run by Jesse Thorn. The organization originated with Thorn's college radio show ''The Sound of Young America'' which continued in an adapted format and with ...
podcast
My Brother, My Brother and Me
''My Brother, My Brother and Me'' (often abbreviated as ''MBMBaM'', pronounced ) is a weekly comedy advice podcast distributed by the Maximum Fun network and hosted by brothers Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy. Regular episodes of the p ...
. Orb, as part of a running gag, is described as a literal orb, an
alien
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
construction masquerading as a horse in order to breed with "Earth horse-women".
Pedigree
*Orb is
inbred
Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...
3s × 4d to the stallion
Mr Prospector
Mr. Prospector (January 28, 1970 – June 1, 1999) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who became an outstanding breeding stallion and notable sire of sires. A sprinter whose career was cut short by repeated injuries, he won seven of his 14 starts, inc ...
, meaning that he appears third generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.
References
{{Kentucky Derby Winners
2010 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Racehorses trained in the United States
Kentucky Derby winners
Phipps family
Thoroughbred family 8-c