Pleasantly Perfect (April 2, 1998 – June 3, 2020) 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 ...

racehorse who retired as the fourth-richest American horse in career earnings.

Background

Pleasantly Perfect was sired by

Pleasant Colony Pleasant Colony (May 4, 1978 – December 31, 2002) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1981 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and was named the 1981 American Champion Three-Year-Old. Background A big, gangly horse stan ...

, winner of the 1981 Kentucky Derby and

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 () o ...

. His dam Regal State, who was sired by the 1978

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Tri ...

winner

Affirmed Affirmed (February 21, 1975 – January 12, 2001) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the eleventh winner of the American Triple Crown. Affirmed was well known for his famous rivalry with Alydar, whom he met ten times, includi ...

, won the 1985 Group One

Prix Morny The Prix Morny is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Deauville over a distance of 1,200 metres (about 6 furlongs), and it is scheduled ...

in France.

Racing career

Pleasantly Perfect started his career on August 25, 2002, with a fourth place finish in the Pacific Classic Stakes.

2003

In 2003, he started the year by coming third in the San Antonio Stakes on February 2 and fourth in the

Santa Anita Handicap The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up and was once considered the most important race for o ...

on March 1. At the end of the year, Pleasantly Perfect won the 6 million dollar

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 ...

on October 25.

2004

Pleasantly Perfect then won another big race, the 12 million dollar

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 wh ...

on March 27. He then came second in the

San Diego Handicap The San Diego Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late July/early August at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. This Grade II race is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles o ...

on August 1, before winning the Pacific Classic Stakes on August 22. In his last race he finished third behind

Ghostzapper Ghostzapper (foaled April 6, 2000) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2004, outdistancing Roses in May by three lengths in a track record time of 1:59.02. His gate-to-wire Classic victory completed a 4-for-4 season, ...

and

Roses in May Roses In May (foaled February 9, 2000) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won 8 of his 13 races, including the 2005 Dubai World Cup, and earned $5,490,187. Background Roses In May, a black horse with a white star and snip, was bred by Marg ...

in the 2004 Breeders' Cup Classic on October 30.

Stud record

Pleasantly Perfect entered stud in 2005 at Lane's End Farm in

Versailles, Kentucky Versailles () is a home rule-class city in Woodford County, Kentucky, United States. It lies by road west of Lexington and is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. Versailles has a population of 9,316 according to 2017 cen ...

. His first offspring to race was Rapid Redux, who won a record 22 straight races and was the winner of the Eclipse Special Award for 2011. Pleasantly Perfect was exported to Turkey, where he died on June 3, 2020, at the age of 22. His most successful son, Whitmore, won the

Breeders' Cup Sprint The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older. Run on dirt Corrected grade for Santa Anita sprintover a distance of 6 Furlongs ( mile), the race has been held annually s ...

a few months later in November 2020.

References

Pleasantly Perfect's pedigree and racing stats

Video at YouTube of Pleasantly Perfect's win in the 2004 Dubai World Cup

External links

"On the Muscle" documentary features Pleasantly Perfect
{{Breeders' Cup Classic Winners 1998 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Breeders' Cup Classic winners Dubai World Cup winners Thoroughbred family 16-a 2020 racehorse deaths