Go And Go
Encyclopedia
Go And Go was an Irish
Thoroughbred
racehorse
best known for winning an American Classic race. Owned and bred by Swiss
businessman, Walter Haefner
, Go And Go was bred at his Moyglare Stud Farm in Maynooth
, County Kildare
. Sired by Be My Guest and out of the mare Irish Edition, his grandsire was the great Northern Dancer
and his damsire Alleged
was a two-time winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
and 1977 European Horse of the Year
.
Racing at age two in Ireland, Go And Go was trained by Dermot Weld and ridden by Michael Kinane
. Between July and September 1989, Go And Go had four starts, losing in his first then winning the next two before finishing tenth in the Group I
National Stakes
at the Curragh
. Sent to the United States, Go And Go won the important Laurel Futurity
on the turf course at Laurel Park in Maryland
. He then ran a disappointing eighth in the 1989 Breeders' Cup Juvenile
at Gulfstream Park
.
In 1990, Go And Go was back in Ireland where he won the Irish Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh in his three-year-old debut. He then ran fourth in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial
after which his handlers decided to try him for the first time on the dirt and entered him in June's Belmont Stakes
at Belmont Park
in New York
. With regular jockey Michael Kinane aboard Go And Go in the third and longest leg of the U.S. Triple Crown
series, he shocked American racing fans with a brilliant stretch run to win the 1½ mile race. His victory in the nine-horse field came over runners-up Thirty Six Red and Baron De Vaux, plus fourth-place finisher, the heavily favored Unbridled
who had won the Kentucky Derby
and finished second in the Preakness Stakes
.
Go And Go then frustrated his handlers and fans in August's Travers Stakes
at Saratoga Race Course
, finishing seventh. In November's Breeders' Cup Classic
he had to be pulled up and did not finish. Left to race in the United States, D. Wayne Lukas
took over his training and Kent Desormeaux
became his jockey. Racing in California under Lukas, Go And Go finished third in both December's Native Diver Handicap
and the January 1991 San Fernando Stakes
. He was then dropped down to an allowance race which he won. Sent next to Arlington Park
in Chicago
, he raced for the last time, finishing fourth in the 1991 Washington Park Handicap
.
Go and Go was retired to stud
duty where he met with only modest success. Standing at Dr. Jerry Bilinski's Waldorf Farm in North Chatham
, New York
, in April 2000 Go And Go had to be euthanized
as a result of a pelvis fracture sustained in a paddock
accident.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
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...
racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
best known for winning an American Classic race. Owned and bred by Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
businessman, Walter Haefner
Walter Haefner
Walter Haefner is a businessman and a Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder in Ireland. He was born in Switzerland.As a young man, Walter Haefner went to work in the auto industry as an employee of the Swiss division of General Motors Corporation...
, Go And Go was bred at his Moyglare Stud Farm in Maynooth
Maynooth
Maynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Sired by Be My Guest and out of the mare Irish Edition, his grandsire was the great Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful sire of the 20th Century. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls him "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history"....
and his damsire Alleged
Alleged (horse)
Alleged was a champion American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse best remembered as winning back-to-back Prix de l'Arc de Triomphes in 1977 and 1978. Trained by Vincent O'Brien in Ireland and ridden by Lester Piggott, this front-running horse was undefeated in all but one of his appearances, that being...
was a two-time winner of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.Popularly referred to as the...
and 1977 European Horse of the Year
European Horse of the Year
European Horse of the Year is an award in European Thoroughbred horse racing. Since 1991 the honor has been part of the Cartier Racing Awards. It is presented annually by Cartier SA to a horse of any age racing in Europe.-Honorees:...
.
Racing at age two in Ireland, Go And Go was trained by Dermot Weld and ridden by Michael Kinane
Michael Kinane
Michael J. Kinane is a former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009....
. Between July and September 1989, Go And Go had four starts, losing in his first then winning the next two before finishing tenth in the Group I
Group One
Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...
National Stakes
National Stakes
The National Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September....
at the Curragh
Curragh Racecourse
The Curragh Racecourse, usually abbreviated to The Curragh, is Ireland's most important Thoroughbred race track. It is situated on the Curragh plain near Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.- History :...
. Sent to the United States, Go And Go won the important Laurel Futurity
Laurel Futurity
The Laurel Futurity is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. Run over a distance of 1 1/16 miles on turf, at one time it was a Grade I stakes race on dirt, and one of the richest and most important races for two-year-old...
on the turf course at Laurel Park in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. He then ran a disappointing eighth in the 1989 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....
at Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America....
.
In 1990, Go And Go was back in Ireland where he won the Irish Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh in his three-year-old debut. He then ran fourth in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial
Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial
The Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial is a Group 2 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.-History:...
after which his handlers decided to try him for the first time on the dirt and entered him in June's Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
in New York
Elmont, New York
Elmont is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the northwest corner of the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City...
. With regular jockey Michael Kinane aboard Go And Go in the third and longest leg of the U.S. Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
series, he shocked American racing fans with a brilliant stretch run to win the 1½ mile race. His victory in the nine-horse field came over runners-up Thirty Six Red and Baron De Vaux, plus fourth-place finisher, the heavily favored Unbridled
Unbridled
Unbridled was a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse.The colt was sired by Fappiano , by Mr. Prospector, and his dam Gana Facil, by Le Fabuleux. Unbridled retired with a career record of 8 wins, 6 places and 6 shows in 24 starts, and $4,489,475 in career earnings...
who had won 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...
and finished second in the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on 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 on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
.
Go And Go then frustrated his handlers and fans in August's Travers Stakes
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.First held in 1864, it was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers...
at Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
, finishing seventh. In November's Breeders' Cup Classic
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 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...
he had to be pulled up and did not finish. Left to race in the United States, D. Wayne Lukas
D. Wayne Lukas
Darrell Wayne Lukas is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S...
took over his training and Kent Desormeaux
Kent Desormeaux
Kent Jason Desormeaux is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year, 1989.-Brief biography:...
became his jockey. Racing in California under Lukas, Go And Go finished third in both December's Native Diver Handicap
Native Diver Handicap
The Native Diver Handicap is an American Grade III stakes race for Thoroughbred race horses run in early December at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California...
and the January 1991 San Fernando Stakes
San Fernando Breeders' Cup Stakes
The San Fernando Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to four-year-old horses, it is contested on at a distance of 11/16 miles on Pro-Ride synthetic dirt...
. He was then dropped down to an allowance race which he won. Sent next to Arlington Park
Arlington Park
Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, he raced for the last time, finishing fourth in the 1991 Washington Park Handicap
Washington Park Handicap
The Washington Park Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of September at Arlington Park Racetrack in Arlington Heights, Illinois. A Grade III event open to horses age three and older, it is contested on Polytrack synthetic dirt over a distance of a...
.
Go and Go was retired to stud
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...
duty where he met with only modest success. Standing at Dr. Jerry Bilinski's Waldorf Farm in North Chatham
Chatham (town), New York
Chatham is a town in Columbia County, United States. New York, United States. The population was 4,249 at the 2000 census.The Town of Chatham has a village also called Chatham on its south town line...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, in April 2000 Go And Go had to be euthanized
Animal euthanasia
Animal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
as a result of a pelvis fracture sustained in a paddock
Paddock
A Paddock is an enclosure for horses. It may also refer to: People*Algernon Paddock , American politician*Charlie Paddock , American athlete and actor*Del Paddock , American baseball player...
accident.