Paddy O'Prado 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...

 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...

. Bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds, he finished third in the 2010 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...

. His regular jockey is 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:...

.

Racing Career

Paddy O'Prado broke his maiden 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....

 on March 6, 2010 in the Grade 3

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...

 $150,000 Palm Beach Stakes

Palm Beach Stakes

The Palm Beach Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. A Grade III event open to three-year-old horses, it is contested on turf over a distance of nine furlongs...

. Next he went on to finish second in the Blue Grass Stakes

Blue Grass Stakes

The Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, currently sponsored by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is an American Grade 1 horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in mid April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky....

 behind winner Stately Victor

Stately Victor

Stately Victor is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He ran in the 2010 Kentucky Derby, coming in eighth. Bred by Frank Stronach's Adena Springs, he is a son of the great Ghostzapper, the 2004 American Horse of the Year and ranked number one in the world that year...

, however still finishing in front of First Dude

First Dude (horse)

First Dude is an American Thoroughbred stallion racehorse. He was sired by Stephen Got Even, who in turn was a son of leading sire A P Indy. He is out of the mare Run Sarah Run, who is the daughter of Smart Strike....

, Interactif, Make Music For Me and Odysseus

Odysseus

Odysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....

. Following his runner up performance in the Blue Grass, he then went on to race in 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 a strong third, defeating many tough opponents. Unfortunately his Preakness performance was not as dazzling as he finished sixth.

At this point, his trainer, Dale Romans, moved him back to the turf

Grass

Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...

. And then, following the Preakness, he started to win big, capturing the Grade 2 $500,000 Colonial Turf Cup

Colonial Turf Cup

The Colonial Turf Cup is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 2005 at Colonial Downs race track in New Kent County, Virginia...

. He then continued his success with a victory in the Grade 2 $600,000 Virginia Derby

Virginia Derby

The Virginia Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1998 at Colonial Downs race track in New Kent County, Virginia. A Grade II event, it is raced on turf at a distance of 10 Furlongs and is open to three-year-old horses....

. Yet, his greatest victory to date was his first Grade 1 win in the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes

Secretariat Stakes

The Secretariat Stakes is a Grade 1 flat horse race in the United States for three-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 1¼ miles . Held annually in mid August, it is the brother of both the Arlington Million and the Beverly D...

.

In his 2011 four-year-old debut, on Preakness Day at Pimlico, he came from back of the pack to convincingly take the Dixie Stakes from Baryshnikov.

Retirement

Paddy O'Prado fractured one of his right rear sesamoid bone

Sesamoid bone

In anatomy, a sesamoid bone is a bone embedded within a tendon.Sesamoids are found in locations where a tendon passes over a joint, such as the hand, knee, and foot. Functionally, they act to protect the tendon and to increase its mechanical effect. The presence of the sesamoid bone holds the...

s during the Dixie Stakes. He was permanently retired from racing on May 22, 2011. O'Prado will most likely go to the breeding shed.