Invasor (horse)

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Invasor
sire = Candy Stripes
grandsire = Blushing Groom
dam = Quendom
damsire = Interprete
sex = Stallion
foaled = 2002
country = Argentina flagicon|Argentina
colour = Bay
breeder = Haras Clausan
owner = Stud 3 de Enero (2005)
Shadwell Stable
trainer = Anibal San Martin (2005)
Kiaran McLaughlin (2006-2007)
record = 12:11-0-0
earnings = $7,804,070
race = Polla de Potrillos (2005)
GP Jockey Club (2005)
GP Nacionál (2005)
Clásico Ensayo (2005)
Pimlico Special (2006)
Suburban Handicap (2006)
Whitney Handicap (2006)
Breeders' Cup Classic (2006)
Donn Handicap (2007)
Dubai World Cup (2007)
awards = Uruguayan Triple Crown Winner (2005)
Uruguayan Horse of the Year (2005)
United States Champion Older Male Horse (2006)
United States Horse of the Year (2006)
#1 - World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (2006)
honors =
updated= June 24, 2007

Invasor (foaled August 3, 2002) is a thoroughbred racehorse bred in Argentina by Haras Clausan. The winner of the 2005 Triple Crown in Uruguay, he was later purchased by Sheik Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum who paid approximately USD 1.4 million for the horse. His two biggest wins were the 2006 Breeders' Cup Classic, in which he defeated heavily favored Bernardini and highly fancied Lava Man, and the 2007 Dubai World Cup, the world's richest horse race. He was voted the Eclipse Award for American Horse of the Year and led the year-end World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings in 2006.

Beginnings

A black-pointed bay with a small white star, Invasor was born in Argentina, sired by the famous Candy Stripes out of the Interprete mare Quendom. He was bought as a 2-year-old by brothers Juan Luis and Luis Alberto Vio Bado, and Pablo Hernandez, three Uruguayans who brought him to Uruguay.

Now that the horse is no longer his (the decision to sell was, he says, agonizing), Pablo Hernandez remembers the day he and the two brothers first saw Invasor. "We had flown to Argentina and were scheduled to take a small plane to La Biznaga Farm, where we were going to look at horses. But the plane had engine failure and the trip was canceled. Our friend, Miguel Ezcurra, from Bullrich Auctioneers, took us by car to visit some smaller farms near Buenos Aires. After having seen some 80 colts and fillies at several farms, we went to Clausan Farm in Areco, a province of Buenos Aires, and that's where we met Invasor. Immediately, it was as if we had been hit with Cupid's arrow. We just fell in love with him." Sandro Mizeroqui, owner of Clausan Farm (now re-named Haras Santa Ines), said the horse would cost them $25,000. The three Uruguayans countered with $18,000. They all settled for $20,000. Hernandez said, "We purchased him and exported him to Maronas Racetrack in Uruguay. Our lucky strike had begun."

Trained by Anibal San Martin, Invasor was ridden by Gustavo Duarte, one of Uruguay's leading jockeys. Duarte called Invasor the best horse he's ever ridden.

Invasor broke his maiden in his debut in Maroñas in late February 2005, winning a 5½ furlong maiden race by 6¾ lengths, but then fractured his right hind sesamoid and required surgery. He had to wait until August to reappear, winning the "Ensayo" Stakes over 7½ furlongs by 2½ lengths.

Uruguayan Triple Crown

Invasor won the first leg of the Uruguayan Triple Crown, the one mile Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos run on September 10th, by 5¾ lengths under heavy rain on a muddy track. One month later, on October 9, he won the 2000 m (1¼ mile) Gran Premio Jockey Club by 3½ lengths, and completed the sweep winning the Gran Premio Nacional by 6½ lengths. In all three races, the horse Potri Flash came second. With this sweep, Invasor became a favorite of the public, and a favorite to win Uruguay's most important race, the championship Gran Premio Internacional Jose Pedro Ramirez, run every January 6th in Maroñas.

His total earnings for taking the Triple Crown amounted to $113,866.

The sale

Invasor was sold after winning the Uruguayan Triple Crown to Sheik Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who paid, as said, around US $1,400,000 to have the horse run for Shadwell Stable. Considering how much the horse could win in Uruguay, the sheik's offer was too hard to turn down, although one Vio Brado brother was very reluctant. Still, the deal was made, and Invasor was flown into the state of Florida, southernmost of the contiguous US states, to be trained by Kiaran McLaughlin at the Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center in Florida. There, the horse prepared for his next race, the UAE Derby.

Racing career

2006 Season

After training in Florida, Invasor was sent to Dubai to compete in the UAE Derby, running into traffic problems, and finishing fourth, but coming on again to end up only a half length behind the 3rd and 2nd horses, albeit far from the winner, Discreet Cat (owned by the competing Godolphin Stables). Less than two months later, he came back to win the Grade I Pimlico Special by 1¼ lengths over Wanderin Boy, after stalking the leader through most of the race. On July 1, Invasor proved that his Pimlico Special win was no fluke by soundly winning the Grade I Suburban Handicap by 4 lengths at Belmont Park. On August 6, he won his third straight Grade I race, holding off a hard-charging Sun King to win a photo finish in the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga. Invasor was pointed to the Jockey Club Gold Cup but developed a fever a week prior to the race, so his trainer decided to skip it and point him to the Breeders' Cup Classic to be run in November, 2006.

Though he was now owned by a sheik and races in the United States, he was Uruguay's national hero. In Uruguay, whenever Invasor ran, people flocked to their nearest simulcast provider. "There was great anticipation here for the Jockey Club Gold Cup," said Pablo Roig, editor of Uruguay Turf Line. "Here in Montevideo, we follow all his races through the OTB simulcasts, and the people are enjoying all his victories."

"In Uruguay, soccer is our main sport," said Luis Costa Baleta, a horse owner from a long-time Uruguayan racing family. "Whenever the national team plays, the entire country stops to watch the match. Since Invasor has gone to the United States, every time he runs, all the simulcast halls are crowded with people who come to see him and bet on him. They shout and cheer for him as if Uruguay was playing in the finals of the World Cup. They treat the horse as if he were still their own. No one can imagine what it's like. He's become a national hero."

The racing journalist and writer Miguel Aguirre Bayley wrote: "In my opinion, Invasor excelled because of his refined qualities, his endurance, and his outstanding intelligence. Invasor may well become one of the best racehorses in the history of the American Turf."

2006 Breeders' Cup

On November 4, 2006 Invasor, ridden by Fernando Jara, won the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs, Kentucky. The field included favored Bernardini, second favorite Lava Man, and European three-year-old champion George Washington. Invasor, under the guidance of the 18-year-old jockey Jara, passed Bernardini in the home stretch, defeating Bernardini by a length. This win essentially secured the Eclipse Awards for Older Male Horse and Horse of the Year.

2007 Season

On February 3, 2007, Invasor won his fifth successive Grade I victory in the Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park. Coming from off the pace, he was virtually stopped when Barcola, the long-shot pacesetter, began backing up. Under jockey Fernando Jara, Invasor was forced to check. Trying to angle off the rail he was still blocked, clipping heels with Barcola. Coming into the stretch, Invasor and Jara found the hole they needed and squeezed through, achieving a two length victory over Hesanoldsalt ridden by Rafael Bejarano.

2007 Dubai World Cup

On March 31, 2007 Invasor, again ridden by Fernando Jara, took the $6 million Dubai World Cup in the United Arab Emirates against his rival Discreet Cat. His time of 1:59.97 for 2,000 meters was the second fastest in the race's history, exceeded only by Dubai Millennium's time of 1:59.50 in 2000. Discreet Cat finished last by 23 lengths, but a very game Premium Tap, who had led the pace, battled Invasor in the stretch for place with the Hong Kong horse, Bullish Luck, third.

Invasor's sire, Candy Stripes (a son of Blushing Groom), died of colic in March 2007; he was 25 years old. Candy Stripes was also the sire of such notable horses as Criollito, Different, Leroidesanimaux, Lundy's Liability, Sweetest Thing, and Victory Stripes.

Retirement

Invasor was retired on June 23, 2007 [http://thoroughbredtimes.com/racing-news/2007/June/23/horse-of-the-year-invasor-retires.aspx] due to the fracture of a bone in an area he had injured when he was younger. He now stands at stud at Shadwell Farm in Lexington, Kentucky for a stud fee of $35,000 live foal; his first crop of foals will be born in early 2009.

Invasor ran twelve times and won eleven. The one race he lost, he finished fourth. His career earnings were $7,804,070.

Pedigree

Pedigree
name = Invasor
f = Candy Stripes (USA)
ch. 1982
m = Quendom (ARG)
blk. 1997
ff = Blushing Groom (FR)
ch. 1974
fm = Bubble Company (FR)
ch. 1977
mf = Interprete (ARG)
dkb/br. 1988
mm = Queen of Victory (ARG)
dkb/br. 1990
fff = Red God
ffm = Runaway Bride
fmf = Lyphard
fmm = Prodice
mff = Farnesio
mfm = Inaccessible
mmf = Cipayo
mmm = Twitch Crown
ffff = Nasrullah
fffm = Spring Run
ffmf = Wild Risk
ffmm = Aimee
fmff = Northern Dancer
fmfm = Goofed
fmmf = Prominer
fmmm = Euridice
mfff = Good Manners
mffm = La Farnesina
mfmf = Liloy
mfmm = Iliada
mmff = Lacydon
mmfm = Tsarina
mmmf = Crown Thy Good
mmmm = Twins (F-No.14-c)

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/invasor3 Invasor's pedigree]
* [http://www.ntra.com/stats_bios.aspx?id=17932 NTRA bio]
* [http://www.ntra.com/bc_division_pages.aspx?id=18400 2006 Breeders' Cup Classic Video]
* [http://www.ntra.com/content.aspx?type=news&id=24355 2007 Dubai World Cup Video]
* [http://thoroughbredtimes.com/racing-news/2007/June/23/horse-of-the-year-invasor-retires.aspx Retirement Announcement]