by Michael Burns
Fusaichi Pegasus, winner of the 2000 Kentucky Derby (G1), will shuttle to Liliana Solari’s Haras Don Alberto in Chile for the upcoming Southern Hemisphere season following the Northern Hemisphere breeding season at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky.
An 11-year-old by Mr. Prospector out of stakes-placed winner Angel Fever, by Danzig, Fusaichi Pegasus’s top progeny include 2006-‘07 Australian champion three-year-old male and dual Group 1 winning miler Haradasun, ‘07 Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Classic Mile winner Floral Pegasus, ‘05 Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) winner Roman Ruler, ‘05 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner Bandini, and ‘05 Belmont Stakes (G1) runner-up Andromeda’s Hero.
In five crops of racing age, Fusaichi Pegasus has sired 301 winners, including 32 stakes winners and 13 group or graded stakes winners, from 527 starters that have earned $31,482,392 through Monday, according to Jockey Club statistics.
"I am very happy about having a horse the quality of Fusaichi Pegasus and particularly to stand him at our farm in Chile," Solari said.
Fusaichi Pegasus will become the first Kentucky Derby (G1) winner to stand in Chile.
Haras Don Alberto, breeders of Grade 1 winners Total Impact (Chi) and Noches de Rosa (Chi), is located in Los Angeles, Chile, south of Santiago and also is home to stallions Stuka, Ithaki, Special Quest (Fr), and first-year sire Total Impact.
Fusaichi Pegasus, who previously shuttled to both Australia and Japan, will return to Ashford Stud for the 2009 breeding season. He entered his initial season at Ashford Stud in 2001 and currently stands for $45,000.
A $4-million purchase at the Keeneland July sale of selected yearlings, Fusaichi Pegasus won six of nine career starts and earned $1,994,400 in two seasons. In addition to the Kentucky Derby, he was second to Red Bullet in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and captured the San Felipe Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park, the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct, and the Jerome Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park.
Michael Burns is a South America-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent