Albert the Great (May 7, 1997 – November 19, 2021) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 2000 Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Career
Albert the Great's first race was on January 22, 2000, at Gulfstream Park, where he came in 3rd. He won his first race on April 22, 2000, at Keeneland.
His first major win came on July 9, 2000, when he won the Dwyer Stakes. In that race he finished ahead of Red Bullet the winner of that year's Preakness Stakes, and Commendable the winner of that year's Belmont stakes.
Later that summer, on August 26, he ran a game 2nd in the prestigious Travers Stakes. His runner up finish was eye opening to many observers considering that a miscalculation on the part of the jockey Jorge F. Chavez to put Albert on the dead Saratoga rail gave a huge advantage to Shane Sellers and Unshaded riding to his outside.
He did not win again until October 14, 2000, when he won the 2000 Jockey Club Gold Cup. by six lengths.
He came in 4th place in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Classic. Finishing ahead of Fusaichi Pegasus his three year old counterpart who won the Kentucky Derby earlier in the year.
He picked up his next win at the Grade 3 Widener Handicap on March 24, 2001.
He then got a pair of victories in Summer 2001, when he won the Brooklyn Handicap and the Suburban Handicap.
He tried to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup for a second time in October 2001, but came in 4th. In his final race on October 27, 2001, he tried again to win the Breeders' Cup Classic, but came in 3rd place.
Stud career Albert the Great's descendants include:
c = colt, f = filly
Foaled Name Sex Major Wins 2004 Nobiz Like Shobiz c Wood Memorial Stakes, Belmont Derby, Kent Stakes, Holy Bull Stakes, Remsen Stakes 2004 Albertus Maximus c Donn Handicap, Windy Sands Handicap 2008 Moonshine Mullin c Stephen Foster Handicap, Alysheba Stakes
Retirement In 2017, Albert the Great was retired to Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky; he joined his son Nobiz Like Shobiz, who retired there in 2016.
Pedigree
References