Gayego, is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Thoroughbred

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...

 Stallion

Stallion

A Stallion is a male horse.Stallion may also refer to:* Stallion , an American pop rock group* Stallion , a figure in the Gobot toyline* Stallion , a character in the console role-playing game series...

 Racehorse. A descendant of the great Nearco

Nearco

Nearco was an Italian bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by Thoroughbred Heritage as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He was not only unbeaten, winning 14 races at distances from 5 furlongs to 1 mile 7 furlongs ,...

, his sire is the 1992 Breeders' Cup Juvenile

Breeders' Cup Juvenile

The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships....

 winner and Eclipse Award

Eclipse Award

The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...

 winner for American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt, Gilded Time

Gilded Time

Gilded Time is an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. Bred by Harry T. Mangurian, Jr., he was out of the mare Gilded Lilly and sired by Timeless Moment, a son of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Damascus...

. His dam is the mare Devil's Lake, a daughter of Lost Code.

Racing Career (2007)

Gayego made his racing debut as a two-year-old on November 18 in a winning effort in a maiden special weight race at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California

Inglewood, California

Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...

. On December 28, he won an allowance race at Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia, California

Arcadia, California

Arcadia is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and located approximately northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains....

.

Racing Career (2008)

Gayego made his three-year-old debut on January 20 with a win in the San Pedro Stakes at Santa Anita. He then finished a close second to Georgie Boy in the Grade 2

Graded stakes race

A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...

 San Felipe Stakes

San Felipe Stakes

The San Felipe Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The San Felipe is a Grade II event open to three-year-old horses. Normally held in mid-March, it is raced at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on dirt and currently...

 on March 18.

Gayego made his first start outside of California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 in the Grade 2 Arkansas Derby

Arkansas Derby

The Arkansas Derby is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....

 on April 12 at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas

Hot Springs, Arkansas

Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...

. It was also his first start on a conventional dirt surface. After contesting the early pace, Gayego took the lead around the final turn and then held off a late bid from Z Fortune to win by three-quarters of a length.

He participated in the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...

 on May 3 at Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...

 in Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

. Even though he was one of the favorites at the 2008 Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...

, he finished 17th in the field. He was again among the betting favorites in the 2008 Preakness Stakes

2008 Preakness Stakes

The 2008 Preakness Stakes was the 133rd running of the Preakness Stakes. The race time was 6:15 pm EDT and was televised in the United States on the NBC television network. Big Brown, the 1-5 favorite, was the winner by 5 lengths over Macho Again...

, but failed to finish in the money after taking the early lead, ending up 11th of 12.

On November 30, 2008, Gayego set a track record of 1:13.37 for 6½ furlongs at Hollywood Park Racetrack. In December he was sold to trainer, A. C. Avila who shortly thereafter sold him to Godolphin Racing. http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/news/story?id=3782921http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/48615/mclaughlin-watching-gayego-for-godolphin?id=48615

Racing Career (2009)

Racing at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse

Nad Al Sheba Racecourse

Nad Al Sheba Racecourse is a former Thoroughbred horse racing facility in Dubai, United Arab Emirates opened in 1986. It has a 2,200 metre left-handed dirt race track and a left-handed turf course of the same distance...

 in Dubai

Dubai

Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

, Gayego finished second in the Godolphin Mile

Godolphin Mile

The Godolphin Mile is a Group 2 flat Thoroughbred horse race in the United Arab Emirates for Southern Hemisphere three-year-old horses and Northern Hemisphere four-year-olds...

 and won the Mahab Al Shimal - Dayjur http://godolphin.asia/NewsArticle.aspx?id=4316. Sent back to the United States, in October, at Santa Anita Park in California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, he won the Grade 1 Ancient Title Stakes which earned him a berth in November's Breeders' Cup Sprint

Breeders' Cup Sprint

The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds & up. Run on dirt over a distance of 6 Furlongs , the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World...

. http://www.ntra.com/content.aspx?type=news&id=42396