Sire Danehill Dam Bordighera Foaled 2003 Died 27 October 2007 Trainer Aidan O'Brien Sex Stallion | Grandsire Danzig Damsire Alysheba Country Ireland Species Equus caballus Parents Danehill Earnings 805,977 GBP | |
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George Washington (3 January 2003 – 27 October 2007) was a thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Ireland by champion sire Danehill out of Bordighera, also the dam of the high-class colt Grandera. Bred by Roy and Gretchen Jackson, he was trained at Ballydoyle by Aidan O'Brien and owned by Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith. George Washington suffered a dislocated ankle fracture during the Breeders' Cup Classic at Monmouth Park on 27 October 2007, and was euthanized. The horse was nicknamed 'Gorgeous George' by his followers.
Contents
Two-year-old career
George Washington's debut was in a maiden race during the 2,000 Guineas meeting at Newmarket on 1 May 2005. He finished third behind League Champion over 5 furlongs (1,006 m).
Victory followed in his second race at the Curragh three weeks later, this time over 6 furlongs (1207 m). Another win came in the Group II Railway Stakes, again over 6 furlongs (1207 m) at the Curragh.
The Group I Phoenix Stakes was next on the agenda, and George Washington won by 8 lengths from his stablemate Amadeus Mozart, despite having been slightly hampered at the start.
His final race as a two-year-old was in the National Stakes in September, another Group 1, which he won by 2 lengths as a long odds-on favourite. Although he was declared to run in the Dewhurst Stakes the following month, he was withdrawn just minutes before the race after the ground was deemed unsuitable.
For his performances, George Washington was voted the 2005 Cartier Award for Two-Year-Old European Champion Colt.
Three-year-old career
The 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket was his first outing of the season. Aidan O'Brien was attempting to win the race for a fourth time, having previously won with King of Kings in 1998, Rock of Gibraltar in 2002, and Footstepsinthesand in 2005. "George" started as 6/4 favourite and won, beating subsequent Epsom Derby winner Sir Percy by 2½ lengths.
Breakdown of 2000 Guineas Stakes Race performances since the race
In the Irish 2,000 Guineas, George Washington finished second, beaten 2 lengths by subsequent dual-Group 1 winner Araafa, who had been fourth at Newmarket. George's trademark finishing acceleration was blunted by the heavy ground conditions, and following the race it emerged that he had torn his foreleg muscles, accounting for his loss.
Due to the 2,000 Guineas form holding up, "George's" rating has been lifted, and his performance in the 2,000 Guineas officially remained the 2nd best performance by a 3-year-old in the 2006 season, beaten only by his win in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot.
In the Celebration Mile, George Washington finished 3rd behind Caradak and Killybegs. He missed the break badly under new jockey Michael Kinane, starting 8 lengths behind Caradak and finishing 1 length behind him.
The day before his main seasonal target, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, heavy rain arrived and 14 mm of rain fell on Ascot racecourse. Half an hour before the race, lots of money came in to cement his place as favourite, and he was sent off at odds of 13/8. Two pacemakers were deployed by Ballydoyle, and an incident occurred during the race between the Seamus Heffernen-ridden colt Ivan Denisovich and Frankie Dettori's mount, Librettist. Under jockey Michael Kinane, George Washington scored by a length and a quarter.
Breeders' Cup Classic
A tilt at the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs had been decided upon about 2 weeks before the event. Because George Washington was already a dominant miler, it was believed that a victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile would do very little for his stud fee. Despite being by a predominantly turf sire in Danehill, his dam is Bordighera, who also foaled Grandera, a victor of three G1. Kinane was declared to ride.
Before the final turn, George Washington approached the leaders. He came wide to make his challenge but was bumped by the eventual winner, Invasor, and lost momentum. Kinane reported that his stamina simply ran out.
Despite calls from Kinane and various members of the press for 'George' to stay in training, he was officially retired and was due to stand at Coolmore's Ireland base for a fee of €60,000.
Fertility problems
On 10 March 2007, it was reported that Coolmore had suspended George Washington's stud career due to fertility problems. The decision was taken to replace him at stud with Holy Roman Emperor, a three-year-old colt who was being prepared to run in the 2,000 Guineas. Like George Washington, Holy Roman Emperor was sired by Danehill and was also trained by Aidan O'Brien. He had been a leading two-year-old in 2006 and was second favourite for the Guineas before the surprise announcement of his retirement.
Return to training
On 25 March 2007, it was announced that George Washington had returned to training at Aidan O'Brien's stable. He was initially entered for the Tattersalls Gold Cup in May, but his return to the racecourse eventually came in the Queen Anne Stakes at the Royal Ascot meeting at Ascot Racecourse on 19 June. He pulled hard going to the start in the early part of the race but eventually settled to finish fourth behind Ramonti.
His second race of 2007 came in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park on 7 July. He finished third, one and a half lengths and a head behind Notnowcato and the Epsom Derby winner Authorized. Authorized and George Washington raced with the majority of the field up the far rail and Authorized won that race by a head; Notnowcato raced alone up the stands rail in search of better ground and beat them both.
Kieran Fallon then reunited with George Washington in the Group 1 Prix Du Moulin in September. The partnership finished third to the high-class filly Darjina and top-class Godolphin horse Ramonti.
George Washington was euthanized on the track following an open fracture to the cannon bone and both sesamoid bones in the right front fetlock while running in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Monmouth Park on 27 October 2007, over a very muddy or "sloppy" track. According to Dr. C. Wayne McIlwraith, the on-call veterinarian, George Washington had cut off all blood supply to his ankle. All other races that day were incident free.
Having been pulled up when well held at the sixteenth pole, George Washington was then euthanized on the track at the request of trainer Aidan O'Brien. It was his second start on dirt and his only start on a sloppy track.
Only foal sired by George Washington
A George Washington filly was born at the Irish National Stud on 4 February 2008. This foal, out of the mare Flawlessly (FR), sold for 280,000 Euros to Gildawn Stud at Goffs November Foal Sale on 21 November 2008. This filly was offered for sale again during Book 1 of the October Yearling Sale at Tattersalls, Newmarket, 6–8 October 2009. She was bought by Ross Doyle for 320,000gns on behalf of Julie Wood, and went into training to Richard Hannon. The filly, named 'Date with Destiny' won on her debut at Newbury in July 2010 and in 2011 finished third in the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial.