Bago (horse)

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Bago


caption = "Bago" winning the 2004 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
sire = Nashwan
grandsire = Blushing Groom
dam = Moonlight's Box
damsire = Nureyev
sex = Stallion
foaled = 2001
country = France flagicon|France
colour = Dark Bay
breeder = Niarchos family
owner = Niarchos family
trainer = Jonathan Pease
record = 16: 8-1-5
earnings = $2,715,153
race = Prix des Chênes (2003)
Critérium International (2003)
Prix Jean Prat (2004)
Grand Prix de Paris (2004)
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2004)
Prix Ganay (2005)
awards= European Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt (2004)
honours =
updated= June 22, 2007

Bago (born February 3, 2001 in France) was the European Three-Year-Old Champion Thoroughbred race horse in 2004. Bred by the Niarchos family, Bago is best known for winning the 2004 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe amongst his five Group One successes.

Bago's dam Moonlight's Box, a daughter of the Champion Sire Nureyev, who also sired Miesque the dual Breeders' Cup winner, she in turn is out of Group 1 winning Coup de Genie a full sister to Machiavellian. Bago's sire Nashwan a horse who in 1989 achieved that which no other horse has yet achieved, winning the 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby, the Eclipse and the King George VI in one season.

Trained by Chantilly based Englishman Jonathan Pease, also renowned for being the mentor of many top class horses including Tikkanen, Spinning World, Act One etc, Bago was ridden during his entire career by top French jockey Thierry Gillet. Bago won all four starts as a two-year-old, including the Critérium International by six lengths.

Sadly for Bago, in 2004 he was hit by a virus that kept him off the track all spring and took him out of contention for the spring classics, however his return to Chantilly saw him win the Prix Jean Prat over nine furlongs, then to Longchamp for the Grand Prix de Paris. Following a third place finish to another Niarchos family bred Prix du Jockey Club winner Sulamani at York in the Juddmonte International he ended his three year old career in brilliant style with his thrilling win in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. In an amazing run, Bago stormed past his rivals in the home straight and beat Cherry Mix on the finishing line. This led to Bago being voted Cartier Three-Year-Old Champion Colt and earning the comment from this trainer, Jonathan Pease, that he 'was the best horse that he had ever trained'. Fact|date=February 2007

In 2005 Bago only achieved one win out of his seven starts, however all his races were at the very highest level; they included racing in Ireland, Great Britain, the United States and Japan, as well as 3rd in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, a 2nd in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and a 3rd in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Newbury, 4th in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Belmont. In the Japan Cup he received a severe cut and the right hind shoe was torn off during the race which explained his first performance ever out of the first four in a total of 16 race career starts. Bago was tough and consistent at the top level of international racing and capable of an impressive turn of foot, which is unique to top class thoroughbreds like him.

Bago has been retired from racing and will start his first season at stud in Japan in 2006.

Pedigree
name = Bago
f = Nashwan
m = Moonlight's Box
ff = Blushing Groom
fm = Height of Fashion
mf = Nureyev
mm = Coup de Genie
fff = Red God
ffm = Runaway Bride
fmf = Bustino
fmm = Highclere
mff = Northern Dancer
mfm = Special
mmf = Mr. Prospector
mmm = Coup de Folie
ffff = Nasrullah
fffm = Spring Run
ffmf = Wild Risk
ffmm = Aimée
fmff = Busted
fmfm = Ship Yard
fmmf = Queen's Hussar
fmmm = Highlight
mfff = Nearctic
mffm = Natalma
mfmf = Forli
mfmm = Thong
mmff = Raise a Native
mmfm = Gold Digger
mmmf = Halo
mmmm = Raise the Standard|

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/bago2 Bago's pedigree and racing stats]