Eldaafer

Background

Eldaafer is a bay gelding with an irregular star but no white leg markings. He is sired by A.P. Indy and his grandsire is Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. His dam is Habibti, who won both the Del Mar Debutante, and Starlet Stakes.

3-year-old season

As a 3-year old Eldaafer did not run in any stakes races but did run 4 times overall. He was 10th in his first start where he was claimed by Diane D. Morici. He won his next start following a 3rd and a 9th to end the season.

4-year-old season

As a 4-year old Eldaafer had his first 4 starts in allowance/claiming races. He won 3 of the 4 before running 3rd in the non-graded Nasty and Bold Stakes. He competed in and won that year's Brooklyn Handicap, a Grade 2 race. It would the last race Eldaafer won that year. He had trouble in later starts such as the Greenwood Cup and the Breeders' Cup Marathon.

5-year-old season

At the beginning of his 5-year old season he had three allowance wins and two defeats in the Brooklyn Handicap, and the Suburban Handicap. Later in the season, he was entered into the final running of the "Fall Championship Stakes" on Patriot Day. Originally he was going to be scratched due to anxiety but later calmed down due to the presence of a goat named Google, and ultimately won the race, which was a "win and you're in" ticket to the Breeders Cup Marathon. In the third running of the Breeders' Cup Marathon, he faced tougher competition such as G1 winner in Prince Will I am, and others. Eldaafer defeated Prince Will I am and 10 other runners to win the Marathon by two lengths and set a track record for Churchill Downs of 2:59.62.

6-year-old season

As a 6-year old, Eldaafer did not win a single stakes race. He did win two allowance races and was second in a non-graded stakes race.

7-year-old season

As a 7-year old Eldaafer had trouble winning race's. He did get a few placings in the Hawthorn Gold Cup, and Brooklyn Handicap, His only win was a win in the non-graded "Carl Hanford Memorial Stakes."

8-year-old season

As a 8-year old Eldaafer also only had one victory after a 2nd in the Stymie Stakes, Eldaafer ran his last start in the Greenwood Cup. By the far turn he had the lead. But he was challenged for that lead throughout the stretch by Indian Jones until they hit the wire together. It was Eldaafer by a nose. Due to an injury however, he was retired after the race. Eldaafer now lives at Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky, with his two best friends, Yahoo and Google the goats.