:''not to be confused with the

Ben Jonson Benjamin "Ben" Jonson (c. 11 June 1572 – c. 16 August 1637) was an English playwright and poet. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for t ...

play

Volpone ''Volpone'' (, Italian for "sly fox") is a comedy play by English playwright Ben Jonson first produced in 1605–1606, drawing on elements of city comedy and beast fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-perfor ...

''. Volponi (foaled 1998 in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

) 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 ...

racehorse. Bred by trainer Philip G. Johnson's family operation, Amherst Stable, he was sired by

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 Sat ...

winner

Cryptoclearance Cryptoclearance (April 9, 1984 in Kentucky – September 24, 2009) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Florida Derby in 1987 and the Hawthorne Gold Cup in 1988 and 1999. Racing career Trained by future Hall of Fame trainer Sc ...

. His dam, Prom Knight, was a daughter of the 1987

Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance ...

winner Sir Harry Lewis, who was a son of the great French runner

Alleged In law, an allegation is a claim of an unproven fact by a party in a pleading, charge, or defense. Until they can be proved, allegations remain merely assertions.

, who won back-to-back editions of the

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, France, over a distance ...

. In 2002, Volponi earned the most important win of his career when he won 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 ...

by 6½ lengths, the largest margin in the race's history at the time. In winning the Classic, Volponi overcame odds of 44-to-1 to beat an outstanding field that included runner-up Medaglia d'Oro, Milwaukee Brew, Evening Attire,

Macho Uno {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Macho Uno , image = , caption = , sire = Holy Bull , grandsire = Great Above , dam = Primal Force , damsire = Blushing Groom , sex = Stallion , foaled = 1998 , country = United States , colour = Gray ...

, Hawk Wing,

War Emblem War Emblem (February 20, 1999 – March 11, 2020) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2002 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Background War Emblem was bred by Charles Nuckols Jr. & Sons in Kentucky. His sire was O ...

, and Harlan's Holiday, among others. His longshot victory inadvertently exposed the largest betting scandal in the United States in a century. At age five, Volponi made eight starts in 2003 without a win but had five seconds and two third-place finishes. Retired to

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 ba ...

duty, his offspring have met with limited success in racing. At the end of 2005, he was sent to KRA Jeju Stud Farm in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

. To date, his best runner in terms of career earnings is daughter Clearly Foxy, who won the 2007 Grade III

Natalma Stakes The Natalma Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Run in mid-September, the Grade I race is run at a distance of one mile (8 furlongs) on turf and is open to two-year-old fillies. In 2 ...

Pedigree

References

Volponi's pedigree and partial racing stats

Volponi's complete race record

Volponi at the ''Thoroughbred Times'' Interactive Stallion Directory
{{Authority control 1998 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Breeders' Cup Classic winners Thoroughbred family 16-f