| Beyond the finish line | ||||
| Long after their racing days are over, thoroughbreds often enjoy successful second careers at stud. But some stakes winners prove to be duds at stud. Here's a look at the careers of the past 25 Kentucky Derby winners: | ||||
| Horse | Derby | Stands | Winnings | Notable |
| Seattle Slew | 1977 |
Deceased. Died in 2002 |
$1,208,726 | Among the most prolific sires in horse racing history, Seattle Slew is the only Triple Crown winner to sire more than 100 stakes winners. |
| Affirmed | 1978 |
Deceased. Died in 2001. |
$2,393,818 | Thoroughbred racing's first $2 million earner, Affirmed was overshadowed at stud by rival Alydar, but sired two-time champion turf mare Flawlessly. |
| Spectacular Bid | 1979 |
Deceased. Died in 2003. |
$2,781,607 | Spectacular Bid once commanded a $150,000 stud fee, and has sired 44 stakes winners before his death this year. |
| Genuine Risk | 1980 | Eagle Point Farm, Virginia | $646,587 | After many barren years, Genuine Risk produced her first foal in 1993, Genuine Reward. Though unraced, Genuine Reward stands at stud at Eagle Point Farm in Virginia. |
| Pleasant Colony | 1981 |
Deceased Died in 2002. |
$965,383 | After siring 65 stakes winners with earnings of more than $40 million over 18 years, Pleasant Colony was retired to the Kentucky Horse Park where he was stabled near John Henry and Cigar. |
| Gato Del Sol | 1982 | Stone Farm, Kentucky | $1,300,000 | Fearful that Gato Del Sol would meet the same demise as Exceller, who was sold to a Swedish slaughterhouse when his owner encountered financial problems, Arthur and Staci Hancock repurchased Gato Del Sol. |
| Sunny's Halo | 1983 | Deceased. Died in June, 2003. | $2,100,000 | Sunny's Halo has sired 31 stakes winners, most notably Dispersal ($1.5 million) and Sunny's Sunrise ($1.1 million). |
| Swale | 1984 |
Deceased. Died in 1984. |
$1,580,000 | Eight days after winning the Belmont Stakes, Swale collapsed and died after a morning workout. He was buried in a silk lined coffin at Claiborne Farm. |
| Spend A Buck | 1985 | Deceased. Died in November 2002 in Brazil. | $4,220,689 | Spend A Buck was named Horse of The Year in 1985 and Champion Three Year Old Colt, but was not a very successful stallion. |
| Ferdinand | 1986 |
Deceased. Died in 2002. |
$3,777,978 | After many unsuccessful years at stud with Claiborne Farm and most recently in Japan, he was "disposed of" likely by slaughter in 2002. |
| Alysheba | 1987 | Saudi Arabia | $6,679,242 | Alysheba was a moderately successful stud, siring 36 stakes winners, but has never produced anything like himself. |
| Winning Colors | 1988 | Gainesway Farm, Kentucky | $1,526,837 | Just the third filly to win the Kentucky Derby, Winning Colors gave D. Wayne Lukas his first Derby champion. She is now a broodmare in Kentucky. |
| Sunday Silence | 1989 |
Deceased. Died in 2002. |
$4,968,554 | Sunday Silence was Japan's champion sire from 1994-1999 while at stud at the Shadai Stallion Station. |
| Unbridled | 1990 |
Deceased. Died in 2001. |
$4,374,590 | Unbridled sired 21 stakes winners, including 1996 Derby winner Grindstone. |
| Strike the Gold | 1991 | Turkey | $3,300,000 | Strike the Gold stood stud at The Vinery in Kentucky for a short time, but is now at National Stud in Ismit, Turkey. |
| Lil E. Tee | 1992 | Old Frankfort Stud, Kentucky | $1,437,506 | As indicative of his $10,000 stud fee, Lil E. Tee has shown only modest success at stud. |
| Sea Hero | 1993 | Turkish Jockey Club, Turkey | $2,900,000 | After standing at stud at Lane's End in Kentucky until 1999, he was purchased by the Turkish Jockey Club. |
| Go For Gin | 1994 | Claiborne Farm, Kentucky | $1,380,866 | Go For Gin's sired Albert The Great, whose career earnings of $1.3 million have nearly equaled his own. |
| Thunder Gulch | 1995 | Ashford Stud, Kentucky | $2,900,000 | Since retiring to stud in '95, Thunder Gulch has sired five crops of thoroughbreds now of racing age, most notably Point Given, the 2001 Horse of the Year. |
| Grindstone | 1996 | Overbrook Farm, Kentucky | $1,244,510 | Never raced after becoming injured days after winning the Kentucky Derby, yearlings with Grindstone's bloodlines have sold for as much as $250,000. |
| Silver Charm | 1997 | Three Chimneys Farm, Kentucky | $6,944,369 | Retired to stud in 2000, the foals that Silver Charm has sired have raced as 2-year-olds. |
| Real Quiet | 1998 | Taylor Made, Kentucky | $3,271,802 | Like Silver Charm, Real Quiet narrowly missed capturing the Triple Crown before retiring in 2000. |
| Charismatic | 1999 | Japan | $2,000,000 | Jockey Chris Antley's quick thinking when he grabbed Charismatic's fractured foreleg in the Belmont Stakes prevented the horse from having to be destroyed. |
| Fusaichi Pegasus | 2000 | Coolmore Stud, Kentucky | $1,994,400 | A $4 million yearling, Fusaichi Pegasus was bought for $60 million by Coolmore Stud. His first foals are yearlings. |
| Monarchos | 2001 | Claiborne Farm, Kentucky | $1,720,830 | The second-fastest winner of the Kentucky Derby commands a $25,000 stud fee. His first foal was a filly, born on Jan. 31. |
| War Emblem | 2002 | Japan | $3,491,000 | A failure at stud, covering only seven mares his first season, insurance companies paid approximately $13.3 million. He continues to live at a stallion farm in northern Japan. |
| Funny Cide | 2003 | Sackatoga Stables, New York | $2,099,385 | As a gelding, Funny Cide likely will enjoy a long competitive career before being retired. John Henry was the most successful gelding, earning $6,591,860 in his career. |
