Thunder Gulch

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Thunder Gulch


caption =
sire = Gulch
grandsire = Mr. Prospector
dam = Line Of Thunder
damsire = Storm Bird
sex = Stallion
foaled = 1992
country = USA flagicon|USA
colour = Chestnut
breeder = Peter M. Brant
owner = Michael Tabor
trainer = D. Wayne Lukas
record = 16: 9-2-2
earnings = $2,915,086
race = Remsen Stakes (1994)
Fountain of Youth Stakes (1995)
Florida Derby (1995)
Swaps Stakes (1995)
Kentucky Cup Classic Handicap (1995)
Travers Stakes (1995)
American Classic Race wins:
Kentucky Derby (1995)
Belmont Stakes (1995)
awards= U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt (1995)
Leading sire in North America (2001)
honours =
updated= February 4, 2007

Thunder Gulch (born 1992 in Kentucky) is a Champion American thoroughbred racehorse who went off the starting gate at 25-1 odds in 1995 and went on to win the Kentucky Derby in 2:01.2 from Post 16. He was ridden by jockey Gary Stevens. D. Wayne Lukas, his trainer, had three horses entered for the 121st "Run for the Roses".

Bred by Peter Brant and owned by Michael Tabor, Thunder Gulch was the son of Gulch out of Line Of Thunder. He had previously won the Remsen Stakes, Fountain of Youth Stakes, and the Florida Derby.

Following his win in Louisville, Thunder Gulch won the Belmont Stakes, the Travers Stakes, the Swaps Stakes, and the Kentucky Cup Classic Handicap. He showed in the Preakness Stakes.

Thunder Gulch was retired in the Fall of his 3 year old campaign after finishing fifth to the legendary Cigar in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. After the race it was discovered that he had fractured his left front cannon bone. The chestnut stallion is standing at Ashford Stud, the American branch of the giant Irish breeder Coolmore Stud, near Versailles, Kentucky for a fee of $30,000 live foal.

Among the many horses Thunder Gulch has sired, significant horses include the graded stakes race winners Spain, Balance, Point Given, and Circular Quay. Point Given was 2001 3 year old Horse of the Year after winning the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes that year. Circular Quay was among trainer Todd Pletcher's many Kentucky Derby entries of 2007, but ran a disappointing sixth and fifth in the Preakness.

Trivia

The Irish pop singer Chris de Burgh wrote the song "The Ballad of Thunder Gulch" about the win of the Kentucky Derby. The song was released on single CD with a small edition of 1000 volumes. Sometimes this CD is offered on ebay and is sold for about 100 US-Dollars.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/thunder+gulch Thunder Gulch's pedigree]
* [http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/sr_sire_page.asp?refno=1369240&origin=BHonline TB Times Stallion Directory Thunder Gulch]
* [http://www.stallions.com.au/archive/thunder_gulch.asp Thunder Gulch Pic & Stats]

External links

* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE2D71030F934A35756C0A963958260 NY Times Sweet 16 Derby Thunder Gulch]