Spend a Buck (USA)
May 15, 1982 – November 24, 2002
Buckaroo (USA) x Belle de Jour (USA), by Speak John (USA)
Family 1-s
May 15, 1982 – November 24, 2002
Buckaroo (USA) x Belle de Jour (USA), by Speak John (USA)
Family 1-s
A front-running speedster of marked quality, Spend a Buck innocently caused a furor when his owner, Dennis Diaz, decided to bypass the Preakness Stakes (USA-G1) and a shot at the American Triple Crown following the colt's Kentucky Derby (G1) win. The rationale for the decision was sensible enough—Diaz, judging that the colt would not stay the 12-furlong distance of the Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) and would add nothing to his stud value with a Preakness win, concluded that his own interests would be better served by sending Spend a Buck after a US$2 million bonus offered by Garden State Park president Robert Brennan to any horse that could sweep the Cherry Hill Mile and Garden State Stakes (the track's Kentucky Derby preps), the Kentucky Derby, and the Jersey Derby (USA-G3). Nonetheless, Triple Crown traditionalists were outraged. Spend a Buck, who knew nothing of the firestorm he had unleashed, successfully completed the bonus sweep and earned Eclipse Award honors as both champion 3-year-old male and Horse of the Year after several potential rivals suffered late-season defeats. The colt went on to become the first winner of an American Triple Crown race to become a successful shuttle sire in South America, where he finally ended his days.
Race record
15 starts, 10 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, US$4,220,689
1984:
1985:
Honors
Assessments
Rated at 123 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1984, 3 pounds below divisional champion Chief's Crown.
Highweighted at 127 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1985, 1 pound above second-rated Proud Truth.
As an individual
A handsome, well-balanced bay standing 16.2 hands, Spend a Buck was a confirmed front runner but was dead game when hooked. He did not have the best of knees and had a chip removed from his right knee between his juvenile and sophomore seasons. He experienced respiratory bleeding in the Haskell Invitational Handicap and ran on furosemide in his final career start, the Monmouth Handicap. He injured his right ankle while in training in September 1985 and was retired. Those who knew him well stated that he was very intelligent and seemed to greatly enjoy training and racing. He later developed a nasty disposition while at stud.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Spend a Buck sired 452 winners (62.5%) and 37 stakes winners (5.0%) from 739 named foals.
Sire rankings
According to the Associaçao Brasileira de Criadores e Proprietários do Cavalo de Corrida (www.abcpcc.com.br):
Notable progeny
Antespend (USA), Black Coffey (USA), Hard Buck (BRZ), Clausen Export (USA), Einstein (BRZ), Forever Buck (BRZ), Hard Buck (BRZ), Hatif (BRZ), Investor's Dream (BRZ), Irish Lover (BRZ), Jockey's Dream (BRZ), L'Amico Steve (BRZ), Pico Central (BRZ)
Notable progeny of daughters
Janelle Monae (BRZ)
Connections
Bred by in Kentucky by Irish Hill Farm and Rowe W. Harper, Spend a Buck was owned by Dennis Diaz, who raced the colt in the silks of his Hunter Farm after buying him for US$12,500 in from Harper's bankruptcy sale in March 1983. Spend a Buck was trained by Cam Gambolati and was ridden to his Kentucky Derby triumph by Angel Cordero Jr.
Following his racing career, Spend a Buck entered stud in 1986 in Kentucky at Lane's End Farm. He moved to McDermott Ranch in Texas in 1995 and was transferred to Red River Farms in Louisiana in 1999. He shuttled to Brazil in 1997 and 1998, meeting with more success there than in the United States, and permanently relocated to Haras Bage do Sul in Brazil after the 2001 Northern Hemisphere breeding season. The stallion died in November 2002 at Haras Bage do Sul after suffering an anaphylactic reaction to penicillin administered to protect the horse from infection from a facial laceration.
Pedigree notes
Spend a Buck is inbred 5x5 to Prince Rose, one of the best European racehorses of his time in spite of having done most of his racing in Belgium and a champion sire in that country. He is a half brother to Jode (by Danzig), dam of 1999 Irish One Thousand Guineas (IRE-G1) winner Hula Angel (by Woodman) and multiple stakes winner Schedule (by Brian's Time), second dam of multiple Japanese Group 3 winner All That Jazz, and third dam of English Group 2 winner Coltrane. Spend a Buck is also a half brother to Crown of Sheba (by Alysheba), dam of 2003 Long Island Handicap (USA-G2) winner Spice Island (by Tabasco Cat) and second dam of 2010 Florida Derby (USA-G1) winner Ice Box.
Belle de Jour, the dam of Spend a Buck, is a winning half sister to multiple stakes winner Savage Love (by Navajo). She was produced from the winning Jaipur mare Battle Dress, whose stakes-placed half sister Songster (by Jester) is the dam of Grade 2 winner Groshawk (by Graustark) and Grade 3 winner Sea Songster (by Sea-Bird). The next dam in the tail-female line, stakes-placed Armorial (by Battlefield), is a half sister to 1957 Valley Forge Handicap winner Tellarian (by Eight Thirty), to 1964 Seminole Handicap winner Top Gallant (by Gallant Man), and to stakes-placed Teleran (by Eight Thirty), dam of the good stakes winner and sire Cornish Prince (by Bold Ruler). The female line traces back to Adargatis (by Astérus), winner of the 1934 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) and a half sister to the great matriarch La Troienne.
Books and media
Fun facts
Last updated: March 25, 2024
Race record
15 starts, 10 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, US$4,220,689
1984:
- Won Arlington-Washington Futurity (USA-G1, 8FD, Arlington Park)
- Won Miller High Life Cradle Stakes (USA-L, 8.5FD, River Downs)
- 2nd Young America Stakes (USA-G1, 8.5FD, The Meadowlands)
- 2nd Criterium Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Calder)
- 3rd Breeders' Cup Juvenile (USA-G1, 8FD, Hollywood)
1985:
- Won Kentucky Derby (USA-G1, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Monmouth Handicap (USA-G1, 9FD, Monmouth; new track record 1:46-4/5)
- Won Jersey Derby (USA-G3, 10FD, Garden State)
- Won Garden State Stakes (USA-L, 9FD, Garden State; new track record 1:45-4/5)
- Won Cherry Hill Mile Handicap (USA-L, 8FD, Garden State; new track record 1:35-2/5)
- 2nd Haskell Invitational Handicap (USA-G1, 9FD, Monmouth)
- 3rd Bay Shore Stakes (USA-G2, 7FD, Aqueduct)
Honors
- Eclipse Award, American Horse of the Year (1985)
- Eclipse Award, American champion 3-year-old male (1985)
Assessments
Rated at 123 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1984, 3 pounds below divisional champion Chief's Crown.
Highweighted at 127 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1985, 1 pound above second-rated Proud Truth.
As an individual
A handsome, well-balanced bay standing 16.2 hands, Spend a Buck was a confirmed front runner but was dead game when hooked. He did not have the best of knees and had a chip removed from his right knee between his juvenile and sophomore seasons. He experienced respiratory bleeding in the Haskell Invitational Handicap and ran on furosemide in his final career start, the Monmouth Handicap. He injured his right ankle while in training in September 1985 and was retired. Those who knew him well stated that he was very intelligent and seemed to greatly enjoy training and racing. He later developed a nasty disposition while at stud.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Spend a Buck sired 452 winners (62.5%) and 37 stakes winners (5.0%) from 739 named foals.
Sire rankings
According to the Associaçao Brasileira de Criadores e Proprietários do Cavalo de Corrida (www.abcpcc.com.br):
- 9th on the Brazilian broodmare sire list in 2010/2011.
Notable progeny
Antespend (USA), Black Coffey (USA), Hard Buck (BRZ), Clausen Export (USA), Einstein (BRZ), Forever Buck (BRZ), Hard Buck (BRZ), Hatif (BRZ), Investor's Dream (BRZ), Irish Lover (BRZ), Jockey's Dream (BRZ), L'Amico Steve (BRZ), Pico Central (BRZ)
Notable progeny of daughters
Janelle Monae (BRZ)
Connections
Bred by in Kentucky by Irish Hill Farm and Rowe W. Harper, Spend a Buck was owned by Dennis Diaz, who raced the colt in the silks of his Hunter Farm after buying him for US$12,500 in from Harper's bankruptcy sale in March 1983. Spend a Buck was trained by Cam Gambolati and was ridden to his Kentucky Derby triumph by Angel Cordero Jr.
Following his racing career, Spend a Buck entered stud in 1986 in Kentucky at Lane's End Farm. He moved to McDermott Ranch in Texas in 1995 and was transferred to Red River Farms in Louisiana in 1999. He shuttled to Brazil in 1997 and 1998, meeting with more success there than in the United States, and permanently relocated to Haras Bage do Sul in Brazil after the 2001 Northern Hemisphere breeding season. The stallion died in November 2002 at Haras Bage do Sul after suffering an anaphylactic reaction to penicillin administered to protect the horse from infection from a facial laceration.
Pedigree notes
Spend a Buck is inbred 5x5 to Prince Rose, one of the best European racehorses of his time in spite of having done most of his racing in Belgium and a champion sire in that country. He is a half brother to Jode (by Danzig), dam of 1999 Irish One Thousand Guineas (IRE-G1) winner Hula Angel (by Woodman) and multiple stakes winner Schedule (by Brian's Time), second dam of multiple Japanese Group 3 winner All That Jazz, and third dam of English Group 2 winner Coltrane. Spend a Buck is also a half brother to Crown of Sheba (by Alysheba), dam of 2003 Long Island Handicap (USA-G2) winner Spice Island (by Tabasco Cat) and second dam of 2010 Florida Derby (USA-G1) winner Ice Box.
Belle de Jour, the dam of Spend a Buck, is a winning half sister to multiple stakes winner Savage Love (by Navajo). She was produced from the winning Jaipur mare Battle Dress, whose stakes-placed half sister Songster (by Jester) is the dam of Grade 2 winner Groshawk (by Graustark) and Grade 3 winner Sea Songster (by Sea-Bird). The next dam in the tail-female line, stakes-placed Armorial (by Battlefield), is a half sister to 1957 Valley Forge Handicap winner Tellarian (by Eight Thirty), to 1964 Seminole Handicap winner Top Gallant (by Gallant Man), and to stakes-placed Teleran (by Eight Thirty), dam of the good stakes winner and sire Cornish Prince (by Bold Ruler). The female line traces back to Adargatis (by Astérus), winner of the 1934 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) and a half sister to the great matriarch La Troienne.
Books and media
- Spend a Buck is profiled in Chapter 11 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
- Footage of Spend a Buck's Kentucky Derby win can be accessed at https://www.kentuckyderby.com/history/year/1985.
Fun facts
- Spend a Buck's Kentucky Derby splits of 1:09-3/5 for 6 furlongs and 1:34-4/5 for the mile were the fastest in the race's history up to that time. He finished the mile and a quarter in 2:00-1/5, then the fourth-fastest Derby on record—and this in spite of the fact that he was still 11 days shy of his actual third birthday.
- Thanks to the US$2 million bonus he earned with victory in the Jersey Derby—which offered a US$600,000 winner's purse even without the bonus—Spend a Buck enjoyed the biggest payday in American racing history up to that time when he held off next-out Belmont Stakes winner Creme Fraiche by a neck. His earnings for slightly more than two minutes' work came to US$2.6 million.
- Spend a Buck's unorthodox departure from the Triple Crown trail prompted the tracks at which the American Triple Crown was staged to get together and offer a US$5 million bonus to any colt capable of sweeping the series. The bonus was sponsored by Chrysler in 1986-1995 and by Visa in 1996-2005 before being discontinued, still unwon.
- The $2 million bonus for the “Jersey Grand Slam” was underwritten by an insurance firm. After Diaz made the announcement that Spend a Buck would bypass the Preakness in favor of the Jersey Derby, Brennan suggested to the stunned members of the firm that they come to the race and bet on Spend a Buck to recoup some of their money. They brought “a suitcase full of cash” in Brennan's words, bet, and won, though how much they actually won at Spend a Buck's 1-20 odds remains an open question.
- Angel Cordero Jr., Spend a Buck's regular jockey, was unable to ride the colt in the Jersey Derby because of a previous commitment to ride Track Barron in the Metropolitan Handicap (USA-G1). Brennan later told Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he was willing to send a helicopter to pick up Cordero and bring him to Garden State in time to ride Spend a Buck, but New York racing authorities were in a snit because of the Triple Crown snub and refused both to let the chopper land at Belmont Park and to release Cordero from his other riding engagements that day. Cordero was equally upset after the conclusion of the day's racing as he earned only US$4,000 for his third on Track Barron, while substitute rider Laffit Pincay Jr. picked up US$260,000 as his share of Spend a Buck's big payday; having ridden Spend a Buck to victory in three of the four races required to earn the bonus, Cordero felt he should have gotten a cut. Pincay ended up riding Spend a Buck in the remaining two races of the colt's career.
- Dennis Diaz originally intended to resell Spend a Buck at the Ocala Breeders' Sales select sale of 2-year-olds in training in 1984, but the colt was turned down by the sale veterinarian.
- Spend a Buck's Kentucky Derby trophy was consigned to the Leland's auction house in 2015 and was sold for US$187,521 in an on-line auction that closed on January 8, 2016. At the same sale, Spend a Buck's Eclipse Award statuette for Horse of the Year sold for US$17,118.
Last updated: March 25, 2024