Da' Tara (foaled April 26, 2005) 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 who won the

2008 Belmont Stakes The 2008 Belmont Stakes was the 140th running of the Belmont Stakes. The race was won by Da'Tara, who led the race wire to wire. Da'Tara went off at 38–1 odds, making the win a monumental upset. Entrants included the favorite, winner of both th ...

in an upset over Big Brown. Da' Tara was a 38-1 underdog entering the post at Belmont. He is trained by

Nick Zito Nicholas Philip Zito (born February 6, 1948, in New York City, New York) is an American Thoroughbred horse trainer. Zito began his career as a hot walker and worked his way up to a groom, to an assistant trainer, and to a trainer. His first top ...

, his jockey is Alan Garcia, and his sire is

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 ...

Two-year-old season

In his first race, a 7-furlong maiden event on the main track at Belmont Park, Da' Tara lost to his stablemate, Anak Nakal, by a length, finishing second and beating the third place horse by a nose. Alan Garcia, who rode Da' Tara to victory in the 2008 Belmont Stakes, was also the jockey that day. The colt failed to break his maiden as a two-year-old, finishing fourth in a Calder maiden race in December.

Three-year-old season

In January 2008, Da' Tara led all the way to win a nine-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream. He was entered in an allowance race shortly after and finished third, beaten by more than four lengths after dueling on the lead. Already based 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 ...

, trainer

decided to enter Da' Tara in the Grade 1

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 ...

. The other entries included Zito's

Fountain of Youth The Fountain of Youth is a mythical spring which allegedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted around the world for thousands of years, appearing in the writings of Herod ...

winner Cool Coal Man, South American Champion Tomcito, and Big Brown, who had won both of his two previous starts. Da' Tara finished ninth, 23½ lengths behind the winner, Big Brown. Da' Tara ran in the

Derby Trial The Pat Day Mile Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on dirt over a distance of one mile scheduled on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The current purse is $500,000. Histo ...

, finishing fifth. In the Barbaro Stakes, at 8.5 furlongs, he finished second behind Roman Emperor. In the June 7, 2008, Belmont Stakes, Da' Tara, the longest shot in the field at 38-1 odds, moved swiftly to the lead under Alan Garcia and led wire to wire, winning by 5.25 lengths over Dennis of Cork, with Anak Nakal and Ready's Echo dead-heating for third another three lengths in arrears. Previously undefeated and heavy favorite Big Brown pulled up in the race in his attempt to win the Triple Crown. Da' Tara ($79) ran the 1 1/2 miles in the relatively slow time of 2:29.65 on a dirt track rated fast (with quarter-mile fractions of 23.82 seconds, 48.30, 1:12.90, 1:37.96, and 2:03.21). By winning the Belmont Stakes in 2008, Da' Tara became the first horse since

Amberoid Amberoid (foaled 1963 in Kentucky) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1966 American Classic, the Belmont Stakes. Amberoid was conditioned for racing by future Hall of Fame trainer Lucien Laurin and ridden primaril ...

in 1966 to have won a leg of the Triple Crown and not belong to the sire line of the

Darley Arabian The Darley Arabian (foaled c. 1700) was one of three dominant foundation sires of modern Thoroughbred horse racing bloodstock. The other two founders were the Godolphin Arabian and the Byerley Turk. This bay Arabian horse was bought in Aleppo, ...

. (He is of the Godolphin Arabian sire line). Da' Tara did not win another race after the Belmont Stakes. He was sold in November 2010 at the Keeneland stock sale in Lexington for $180,000 to Foye Genetics. In March 2011, he was put back into training in Florida, but never started in a race. In late 2011, Da' Tara was sold to Los Aguacates Stud, where he initially stood in Ocala, Florida, and was relocated to Carabobo, Venezuela, in December 2011.

Notes

Da' Tara's pedigree and partial racing stats

Video

www.ntra.com, Video, Belmont S. - June 7, 2008
{{Belmont Stakes Winners 2005 racehorse births Belmont Stakes winners Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 5-i Godolphin Arabian sire line