Monarchos was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2001 Kentucky Derby in the second fastest winning time and overall third fastest time in the race's history.
11 Facts About Monarchos
1.
2.
Monarchos was bred by Jim Squires, who wrote an account of this "rags to riches" horse entitled "Horse of a Different Colour".
3.
Monarchos made a winning three-year-old debut when taking a minor race at Gulfstream Park in January 2001 and followed up with a win in an allowance race in February.
4.
Chavez sent the gray colt to the lead a furlong from the finish, and Monarchos pulled clear to win by almost five lengths from Invisible Ink, with Congaree third and the favored Point Given fifth.
5.
Some time after the race, it was discovered that Monarchos had sustained a hairline fracture to his right knee, which ruled him out for the rest of the season.
6.
Monarchos was scheduled to return as a four-year-old with the Donn Handicap as his first target, but, after running third in a prep race, he injured a tendon in training in January 2002 and was retired.
7.
Monarchos was retired to Claiborne Farm, where his initial stud fee was $25,000.
8.
Monarchos stood at Nuckols Farm in Midway, Kentucky, at a fee of $2,000 for 2016.
9.
On October 22,2016, Monarchos died after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured intestine.
10.
Monarchos went into surgery after showing signs of internal distress the night before.
11.
Monarchos was 18 years old at the time of his death.