The most expensive racehorse ever, Fusaichi Pegasus, who was bought to go to stud for $70million, has died of old age in the United States.
As a yearling he fetched $4m when he was bought by Japanese businessman Fusao Sekiguchi. His owner combined his own name with ‘ichi’, Japanese for number one, and the winged horse from Greek mythology to create the colt’s name.
And he lived up to it by landing the Kentucky Derby in 2000, becoming the first favourite to win the historic race for 21 years.
At the end of his racing career he was bought by Coolmore Stud for a reported $70 million, a record amount, after a heated bidding war for his services.
He retired to Coolmore’s Ashford Stud where he went on to sire six champions worldwide. Announcing the news, Coolmore America, said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus who was euthanized at Ashford Stud yesterday due to the infirmities of old age.”
Trained by Neil Drysdale, ‘Fu Peg’, as he became affectionately known, won six of his nine starts, earning $1.9 million in prize-money, and as well as winning the Kentucky Derby, finished second in the Preakness Stakes.
He was pensioned from stud duties in 2020 and had been living out his retirement at Ashford.
“Fu Peg was a fantastic racehorse and a colourful character,” said Ashford Stud general manager Dermot Ryan,
“I would like to thank Richard Barry and all of his team, past and present, for providing the highest level of care for him throughout his time at Ashford.”
