Neil Drysdale
Encyclopedia
Neil D. Drysdale is an American
based thoroughbred
race horse trainer
.
Based in Playa Del Rey, California
, he has won two Triple Crown
races - the Belmont Stakes
(G1) with A.P. Indy
in 1992 and the Kentucky Derby
(G1) with Fusaichi Pegasus
in 2000. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
in 2000.
, Surrey
, his father was a Royal Marine who served with the U.S. Marines in Korea
. Drysdale studied at the University of Barcelona
, and then taught English as a foreign language - but then switched his mind to horses.
He moved to Florida
to work with show horses, and then became involved with racing thoroughbreds, spending two years with John Hartigan at Tartan Farms in Ocala, Florida
. He then moved to a thoroughbred stable in Argentina
, then managed a stud farm in Venezuela
. Drysdale returned to the United States and worked as an assistant to Roger Laurin
for two years, and then between 1970-74 he was assistant to Charlie Whittingham
in California. He says the most important things he learned from Whittingham were patience and planning. He began working for Corbin Robertson's Saron Stable in 1974 , notably winning eight races with Bold 'n Determined
in 1980 (a bicoastal Grade 1 winner between 1979–81 and winner of 16 of 20 starts), including a triumph over eventual division champion Genuine Risk
In 1983, Drysdale opened his racing office in Playa Del Rey, California
. His first major winner was Forceten, and he has since saddled a total of 31 Breeders' Cup
runners and has six winners to his credit, including 1992 winner A.P. Indy
- a total exceeded only by D. Wayne Lukas and Claude 'Shug' McGaughey. A.P. Indy
plus Princess Rooney
, Tasso
and Hollywood Wildcat
all went from winning the Breeders' Cup to win the Eclipse Awards, with A.P. Indy
voted the 1992 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
.
Noted for his patience and instinctive ability to place horses where they belong, Drysdale also conditioned Hawksley Hill, Labeeb, French Deputy, and Roanoke. Beyond his Grade 1 wins in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Breeders'Cup, Drysdale has also won the Acorn Stakes, Apple Blossom, CCA Oaks, Hollywood Derby, Santa Anita Derby, and Molson Million
Drysdale's owners now include Sheikh Maktoum
and Peter Vegso As horse racing has gone international, so has Drysdale, racing horses in Dubai
, Hong Kong
and South Africa
Inducted into Racing Hall of Fame in 2000, the year he won the Kentucky Derby
with Fusaichi Pegasus
, his first starter in the race.
is a colt who is known to be temperamental. Known to stop and just look around, the colt caused a delay at the starting gate at the Wood Memorial by rearing to threw his exercise rider
But on 6 May 2000, in 82-degree heat and before 153,204 cheering fans (the second largest Derby crowd in history), Fusaichi Pegasus
became the first Kentucky Derby
winner since Spectacular Bid
in 1979 to win the Derby as the betting favourite, and the first winner to have raced only once as a 2-year-old. The others were Leonatus (1883), Tim Tam (1958) and Lucky Debonair (1965). Jockey Kent Desormeaux
said he broke like a pony, after being trapped behind the group - but when an opening occurred, he came through strong on the rail in the stretch, taking the lead approaching the eighth pole and finishing 1½ lengths ahead of Aptitude
. Fusaichi Pegasus earned an extra $250,000 paid to any colt who wins the Wood Memorial Stakes
at Aqueduct and the Derby
After the Kentucky Derby, many believed that Fusaichi Pegasus would win the Triple Crown
. However, he was defeated by Red Bullet
in the Preakness Stakes
and did not race in the third leg, the Belmont Stakes
. He is currently standing stud at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
based 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...
race horse trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
.
Based in Playa Del Rey, 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 has won two 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...
races - the 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...
(G1) with A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy is a champion stallion Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Kentucky, USA, by William Farish III and William Kilroy. He is known for his ancestry, his own record, and his successful progeny. He was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew through mare Weekend Surprise, who herself was sired...
in 1992 and 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...
(G1) with Fusaichi Pegasus
Fusaichi Pegasus
Fusaichi Pegasus was purchased as a yearling for $4 million by Fusao Sekiguchi. His name is a combination of his owner's name, "Fusao," and the Japanese word for one, "ichi," to mean #1 or the best. The second half is the winged horse of Greek mythology. Fusaichi Pegasus won the Kentucky Derby...
in 2000. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
in 2000.
Career
Born in HaslemereHaslemere
Haslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, his father was a Royal Marine who served with the U.S. Marines in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. Drysdale studied at the University of Barcelona
University of Barcelona
The University of Barcelona is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia in Spain. It is a member of the Coimbra Group, LERU, European University Association, Mediterranean Universities Union, International Research Universities Network and Vives Network...
, and then taught English as a foreign language - but then switched his mind to horses.
He moved to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to work with show horses, and then became involved with racing thoroughbreds, spending two years with John Hartigan at Tartan Farms in Ocala, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
. He then moved to a thoroughbred stable in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, then managed a stud farm in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. Drysdale returned to the United States and worked as an assistant to Roger Laurin
Roger Laurin
Roger Laurin is a trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses in the United States and Canada. He has trained Champions Numbered Account, the 1971 American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly, and Chief's Crown, the 1984 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner.-A family business:Roger...
for two years, and then between 1970-74 he was assistant to Charlie Whittingham
Charlie Whittingham
Charles Edward Whittingham was an American thoroughbred race horse trainer who is one of the most acclaimed trainers in U.S. racing history....
in California. He says the most important things he learned from Whittingham were patience and planning. He began working for Corbin Robertson's Saron Stable in 1974 , notably winning eight races with Bold 'n Determined
Bold 'n Determined
Bold 'n Determined , was an American Thoroughbred race horse born and bred in Kentucky. Her dam was the unraced mare Pidi, by Determine. Determine won the 1954 Kentucky Derby. Her sire was Bold And Brave by the great Bold Ruler...
in 1980 (a bicoastal Grade 1 winner between 1979–81 and winner of 16 of 20 starts), including a triumph over eventual division champion Genuine Risk
Genuine Risk
Genuine Risk was a chestnut mare who won the 1980 Kentucky Derby and was the first filly to ever finish in the money in all three U.S. Triple Crown races. Ridden by Jacinto Vasquez, she finished second in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes...
In 1983, Drysdale opened his racing office in Playa Del Rey, 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...
. His first major winner was Forceten, and he has since saddled a total of 31 Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...
runners and has six winners to his credit, including 1992 winner A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy is a champion stallion Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Kentucky, USA, by William Farish III and William Kilroy. He is known for his ancestry, his own record, and his successful progeny. He was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew through mare Weekend Surprise, who herself was sired...
- a total exceeded only by D. Wayne Lukas and Claude 'Shug' McGaughey. A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy is a champion stallion Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Kentucky, USA, by William Farish III and William Kilroy. He is known for his ancestry, his own record, and his successful progeny. He was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew through mare Weekend Surprise, who herself was sired...
plus Princess Rooney
Princess Rooney
Princess Rooney was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse who was the first winner of a Breeders' Cup race to be inducted into the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame....
, Tasso
Tasso (horse)
Tasso is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Out of the mare Ecstacism, he was sired by Fappiano, a son of the very influential Champion sire Mr. Prospector....
and Hollywood Wildcat
Hollywood Wildcat
Hollywood Wildcat is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by and raced by Irving & Marjorie Cowan, her sire was Kris S., an outstanding sire of five Breeders' Cup winners. Her dam, Miss Wildcatter, was a daughter of Mr...
all went from winning the Breeders' Cup to win the Eclipse Awards, with A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy is a champion stallion Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Kentucky, USA, by William Farish III and William Kilroy. He is known for his ancestry, his own record, and his successful progeny. He was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew through mare Weekend Surprise, who herself was sired...
voted the 1992 Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. It has been awarded since 1887 to the horse, irrespective of age, whose performance during the racing year is deemed the most outstanding....
.
Noted for his patience and instinctive ability to place horses where they belong, Drysdale also conditioned Hawksley Hill, Labeeb, French Deputy, and Roanoke. Beyond his Grade 1 wins in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Breeders'Cup, Drysdale has also won the Acorn Stakes, Apple Blossom, CCA Oaks, Hollywood Derby, Santa Anita Derby, and Molson Million
Drysdale's owners now include Sheikh Maktoum
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , also Sheikh Mohammed, , is the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates , and absolute monarch of Dubai.-Personal life and education:...
and Peter Vegso As horse racing has gone international, so has Drysdale, racing horses 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...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
Inducted into Racing Hall of Fame in 2000, the year he 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...
with Fusaichi Pegasus
Fusaichi Pegasus
Fusaichi Pegasus was purchased as a yearling for $4 million by Fusao Sekiguchi. His name is a combination of his owner's name, "Fusao," and the Japanese word for one, "ichi," to mean #1 or the best. The second half is the winged horse of Greek mythology. Fusaichi Pegasus won the Kentucky Derby...
, his first starter in the race.
2000 Kentucky Derby
Purchased for $4 million as a yearling by venture capitalist Fusao Sekiguchi, Fusaichi PegasusFusaichi Pegasus
Fusaichi Pegasus was purchased as a yearling for $4 million by Fusao Sekiguchi. His name is a combination of his owner's name, "Fusao," and the Japanese word for one, "ichi," to mean #1 or the best. The second half is the winged horse of Greek mythology. Fusaichi Pegasus won the Kentucky Derby...
is a colt who is known to be temperamental. Known to stop and just look around, the colt caused a delay at the starting gate at the Wood Memorial by rearing to threw his exercise rider
But on 6 May 2000, in 82-degree heat and before 153,204 cheering fans (the second largest Derby crowd in history), Fusaichi Pegasus
Fusaichi Pegasus
Fusaichi Pegasus was purchased as a yearling for $4 million by Fusao Sekiguchi. His name is a combination of his owner's name, "Fusao," and the Japanese word for one, "ichi," to mean #1 or the best. The second half is the winged horse of Greek mythology. Fusaichi Pegasus won the Kentucky Derby...
became the first 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...
winner since Spectacular Bid
Spectacular Bid
Spectacular Bid was an American Thoroughbred race horse. "The Bid" as he was known was one of the most dominant gallopers of his time...
in 1979 to win the Derby as the betting favourite, and the first winner to have raced only once as a 2-year-old. The others were Leonatus (1883), Tim Tam (1958) and Lucky Debonair (1965). Jockey 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:...
said he broke like a pony, after being trapped behind the group - but when an opening occurred, he came through strong on the rail in the stretch, taking the lead approaching the eighth pole and finishing 1½ lengths ahead of Aptitude
Aptitude
An aptitude is an innate component of a competency to do a certain kind of work at a certain level. Aptitudes may be physical or mental...
. Fusaichi Pegasus earned an extra $250,000 paid to any colt who wins the Wood Memorial Stakes
Wood Memorial Stakes
The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, New York. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt....
at Aqueduct and the Derby
After the Kentucky Derby, many believed that Fusaichi Pegasus would win the 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...
. However, he was defeated by Red Bullet
Red Bullet
Red Bullet is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2000 Preakness Stakes. Bred and raced by auto parts magnate Frank Stronach, he was sired by Unbridled, the 1990 American Champion 3-Year-Old Male Horse and winner of that year's Breeders' Cup Classic...
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...
and did not race in the third leg, the 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...
. He is currently standing stud at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky
Versailles, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,511 people, 3,160 households, and 2,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 8.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35%...
Quotations
- When Neil runs a horse, you know it's ready - Owner Peter Vegso, publisher of the Chicken Soup for the SoulChicken Soup for the SoulChicken Soup for the Soul is a series of books, usually featuring a collection of short and dense inspirational stories and motivational essays. The 101 stories in the first book of the series were compiled by motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.There have been over 200 titles...
series and thoroughbred breeder - I was just trying to win the race. I was pretty confident I had him all the way. I mean, anytime you ride for Neil Drysdale you have to be confident - Patrick Valenzuela, jockey and rider of ARAGORN, winner of the 2005 Oak Tree DerbyOak Tree DerbyThe Oak Tree Derby is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park during the Oak Tree Racing Association meet each year. The Grade IIT event is open to three-year-old horses willing to race 1⅛ miles on the turf and offers a purse of $150,000....
- Trainer Neil Drysdale has been able to get this high strung six-year-old to relax MeadowlandsMeadowlands RacetrackThe Meadowlands Racetrack is a horse racing track at the MetLife Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness racing...
TV analyst Matt Carothers on Labeeb, entered in the 1998 Breeders Cup