Fusaichi Pegasus, the winner of the 2000 Kentucky Derby who later became the highest-priced racehorse ever sold, died Tuesday at age 26.
Fusaichi Pegusas was retired from racing in 2000 and retired from stallion duties at Ashford Stud in 2020. The farm announced the horse was euthanized Tuesday due to the infirmities of old age.
“’Fu Peg’ was a fantastic racehorse and a colorful character,” Ashford Stud General Manager Dermot Ryan said in a news release.
Fusaichi Pegasus won the 2000 Kentucky Derby as the 2-1 favorite, finished second to Red Bullet in the Preakness and ended his career with a sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs later that year.
The son of the great stallion Mr. Prospector was purchased as a yearling at Keeneland for $4 million by Japanese businessman Fusao Sekiguchi. That price remains the highest ever paid at auction for a horse that went on to win the Kentucky Derby.
Sekiguchi’s investment proved shrewd after the Run for the Roses, when Irish breeder Coolmore Stud bought Fusaichi Pegasus for a reported $70 million — at the time the highest price ever paid for a racehorse.
Fusaichi Pegasus split time between Ashford Stud in Woodford County and Coolmore’s breeding operation in Australia for the first decade of his stallion career.
He was the sire of champion Thoroughbreds in several different countries.
After the death of Fusaichi Pegasus, 20 living Kentucky Derby winners remain. The youngest is 2023 victor Mage, and the oldest is 29-year-old Silver Charm, who resides at Old Friends farm in Georgetown.
Fusaichi Pegasus was bred by Arthur Hancock and Bob and Janice McNair of Stonerside Farm.
Trained by Neil Drysdale, Fusaichi Pegasus won six races from nine career starts with career earnings of $1,994,400.
In 2000, he won the San Felipe Stakes and the Wood Memorial before finishing first in the Kentucky Derby and second in the Preakness Stakes. He did not run in the Belmont Stakes but returned to the track later that year to finish first in the Jerome Handicap and sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, his final race.
“He was a challenging horse to train, actually,” Drysdale told BloodHorse this week. “He was rambunctious and had a lot of energy. He was a horse who you had to do something different with every day. Most horses enjoy a routine and he did not.”
When he crossed the finish line first in a 19-horse field in the 2000 Kentucky Derby, Fusaichi Pegasus’ winning time was the seventh-fastest ever in the Run for the Roses. His time of 2:01.12 for the mile-and-a-quarter remains the 10th fastest in 2023.
“This guy, he’s a beast,” said winning jockey Kent Desormeaux after the race. “He’s just so powerful, yet he maintains his grace.”
Fusiachi Pegasus, the 2-1 post-time favorite, defeated Aptitude by 1 1/2 lengths and Impeachment by 5 ½.
Big for a colt at his age, Fusaichi Pegasus glided with remarkable fluidity.
“You would think he would lumber around the track,” Desormeaux said at the time. “Boom, boom, boom, like an elephant.”
But he did not.
“He maintains his elegance.”
Herald-Leader Staff Writer Ben Roberts contributed to this article.
There are 20 living Kentucky Derby winners. Here’s where they all are now.
How much does a Kentucky Derby horse cost? Here are the prices on this year’s contenders.
Kentucky Derby winners
Triple Crown winners in bold
2023: Mage
2022: Rich Strike
2021: Mandaloun-1
2020: Authentic
2019: Country House-2
2018: Justify
2017: Always Dreaming
2016: Nyquist
2015: American Pharoah
2014: California Chrome
2013: Orb
2012: I’ll Have Another
2011: Animal Kingdom
2010: Super Saver
2009: Mine That Bird
2008: Big Brown
2007: Street Sense
2006: Barbaro
2005: Giacomo
2004: Smarty Jones
2003: Funny Cide
2002: War Emblem
2001: Monarchos
2000: Fusaichi Pegasus
1999: Charismatic
1998: Real Quiet
1997: Silver Charm
1996: Grindstone
1995: Thunder Gulch
1994: Go for Gin
1993: Sea Hero
1992: Lil E. Tee
1991: Strike the Gold
1990: Unbridled
1989: Sunday Silence
1988: Winning Colors
1987: Alysheba
1986: Ferdinand
1985: Spend a Buck
1984: Swale
1983: Sunny’s Halo
1982: Gato Del Sol
1981: Pleasant Colony
1980: Genuine Risk
1979: Spectacular Bid
1978: Affirmed
1977: Seattle Slew
1976: Bold Forbes
1975: Foolish Pleasure
1974: Cannonade
1973: Secretariat
1972: Riva Ridge
1971: Canonero II
1970: Dust Commander
1969: Majestic Prince
1968: Forward Pass-3
1967: Proud Clarion
1966: Kauai King
1965: Lucky Debonair
1964: Northern Dancer
1963: Chateaugay
1962: Decidedly
1961: Carry Back
1960: Venetian Way
1959: Tomy Lee
1958: Tim Tam
1957: Iron Liege
1956: Needles
1955: Swaps
1954: Determine
1953: Dark Star
1952: Hill Gail
1951: Count Turf
1950: Middleground
1949: Ponder
1948: Citation
1947: Jet Pilot
1946: Assault
1945: Hoop Jr.
1944: Pensive
1943: Count Fleet
1942: Shut Out
1941: Whirlaway
1940: Gallahadion
1939: Johnstown
1938: Lawrin
1937: War Admiral
1936: Bold Venture
1935: Omaha
1934: Cavalcade
1933: Brokers Tip
1932: Burgoo King
1931: Twenty Grand
1930: Gallant Fox
1929: Clyde Van Dusen
1928: Reigh Count
1927: Whiskery
1926: Bubbling Over
1925: Flying Ebony
1924: Black Gold
1923: Zev
1922: Morvich
1921: Behave Yourself
1920: Paul Jones
1919: Sir Barton
1918: Exterminator
1917: Omar Khayyam
1916: George Smith
1915: Regret
1914: Old Rosebud
1913: Donerail
1912: Worth
1911: Meridian
1910: Donau
1909: Wintergreen
1908: Stone Street
1907: Pink Star
1906: Sir Huon
1905: Agile
1904: Elwood
1903: Judge Himes
1902: Alan-a-Dale
1901: His Eminence
1900: Lieut. Gibson
1899: Manuel
1898: Plaudit
1897: Typhoon II
1896: Ben Brush
1895: Halma
1894: Chant
1893: Lookout
1892: Azra
1891: Kingman
1890: Riley
1889: Spokane
1888: Macbeth II
1887: Montrose
1886: Ben Ali
1885: Joe Cotton
1884: Buchanan
1883: Leonatus
1882: Apollo
1881: Hindoo
1880: Fonso
1879: Lord Murphy
1878: Day Star
1877: Baden-Baden
1876: Vagrant
1875: Aristides
1-Mandaloun was declared winner after Medina Spirit was disqualified for using prohibited medication.
2-Country House was declared winner after Maximum Security was disqualified for interference.
3-Forward Pass was declared winner after Dancer’s Image was disqualified for using prohibited medication.