Hansen (horse)

Hansen
Sire	Tapit
Grandsire	Pulpit
Dam	Stormy Sunday
Damsire	Sir Cat
Sex	Colt
Foaled	April 23, 2009
Country	United States
Colour	Gray
Breeder	Kendall E. Hansen
Owner	Kendall E. Hansen, Sky Chai Stables
Trainer	Michael J. Maker
Record	7: 4-2-0
Earnings	$1,623,305
Major wins
Breeders' Cup Juvenile (2011) Kentucky Cup Juvenile (2011) Gotham Stakes (2012) Iowa Derby (2012)
Awards
American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt (2011)

Hansen (foaled April 23, 2009 in Kentucky), nicknamed 'White Lightning' and 'The Great White Hope', is a grey American Thoroughbred racehorse. Out of the Sir Cat mare Stormy Sunday, he is sired by Tapit. He is registered as "gray or roan" under the rules of The Jockey Club but is a gray. He is notable for having a hair coat that has grayed out to white far more rapidly than is typical, which led sportscaster Frank DeFord to describe him as a "four-legged Steve Martin.^[1] He is named after his owner, Dr. Kendall Hansen. He was trained by Mike Maker, and his regular jockey was Ramon Dominguez.

Racing career

In his two-year-old season, Hansen was lightly raced. He had two wins at Turfway Park over distances of 1 1/16 miles and 5 1/2 furlongs. He then went to Churchill Downs and won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile over Union Rags.^[2] on November 5, 2011. Sent off at odds of 7-1, Hansen broke sharply from post 5 under Dominguez and set fractions of :23.26, :47.39, and 1:12.24 on a fast main track with Speightscity, Fort Loudon and Creative Cause tracking him early. He led down the backstretch with favorite Union Rags right behind and held onto the lead to win by a head. Hansen earned $1,080,000 for the victory and subsequently was voted 2011 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt.^[3]

Hansen began his three-year-old season with the first loss of his career in the Holy Bull Stakes on January 29, 2012. He stumbled out of the gate and then went to the front with an opening fraction of 23.64 and opening half-mile in 45.67. He tired in deep stretch and was passed by Algorithms, ultimately finishing second in front of My Adonis.^[4] On March 3, 2011, Hansen won the Grade III Gotham Stakes in a time of 1:43.84.^[5]

Hansen's most controversial appearance was in the Blue Grass Stakes, due to pre-race controversy when his eponymous owner dyed the horse's white tail blue as a promotional stunt. Under pressure from the track stewards, who sent security to the barn to seize and test the dye container, his trainer washed out the dye. Hansen placed second in the race behind Dullahan.^[6][7]

On May 5, 2012, Hansen finished 9th in the 2012 Kentucky Derby. Early in the race, he ran in third place before tiring and dropping back.^[4] Next racing on June 30, 2012, he won the Iowa Derby. Dominguez flew from Belmont Park to Iowa after a day's riding in New York to guide the colt to his win.^[8] On August 4, 2012, Hansen finished fourth in the West Virginia Derby to Macho Macho. While he was preparing for the Travers, a tear in his tendon was discovered.^[9] Hansen was officially retired from racing in September 2012^[10] and stood at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Kentucky, for the 2013 breeding season. In October 2013, he was sold to interests in South Korea, where he joined other notable American Thoroughbreds exported to that nation.^[11] On January 28, 2014, Hansen was represented by his first foal, a chestnut colt out of the mare Havelsee.

Pedigree

References

Resources

• Pedigree & Partial Stats
• Stats & News