NKyTribune staff
Bode Miller, 2010 Olympic gold medalist, multiple World Cup alpine skiing champion and horseman, has bought a stake in Northern Kentucky physician Kendall Hansen’s Kentucky Derby hopeful Fast and Accurate.
Northern Kentucky Physician Dr. Kendall Hansen (black jacket), wipes a tear after Fast and Accurate won the JACK Casino Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park in March, earning a trip to the Kentucky Derby. Hansen recently sold a stake in the colt to Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller (file photo).
Trained by Mike Maker and bred in Pennsylvania by John Penn, Fast and Accurate won the JACK Cincinnati Casino Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park March 25 to earn a start in the Kentucky Derby (G1). The colt is among the only U.S. crop sired by Hansen’s homebred namesake, 2011 Eclipse champion 2-year-old male Hansen.
“Bode is a very intelligent man and a good horseman,” said Hansen, a Northern Kentucky physician. “He learned a lot about physiology from his work on the U.S. Olympic Team, and he’s relaying that knowledge to horse racing as well. He sees what we see up close [in Fast and Accurate], and he realizes we do actually have an outside chance to win, even though on paper it doesn’t exactly look that way. I remember crossing out [2009 Kentucky Derby winner] Mine That Bird, who had no chance.”
Fast and Accurate has won his last three races, stepping up in class each time. His record stands at three wins and one second in six starts.
“Three-year-olds can improve by leaps and bounds, so I’m hoping we’re one of the ‘leaps and bounds’ and others ones are tailing off,” Hansen said.
“A couple of mutual friends got us together, because we’ve both been known to be somewhat eccentric and fun-loving,” said Hansen of his partnership with Miller. “It’s fun to be paired up with him. I’m looking forward to hanging out with him on Kentucky Derby day.”
Immediately after the Spiral Stakes win, Skychai Racing also purchased a stake in Fast and Accurate and has since sold a portion to frequent partner Sand Dollar Stable. The nom de course of Harvey Diamond and partners, Skychai Racing had bought a stake in Hansen after the colt’s 13-1/4 length score in the 2011 Kentucky Cup Juvenile at Turfway, his third start and third win.
Miller also owns a share of Hansen’s homebred colt En Hanse, another son from Hansen the sire’s U.S. crop. That colt is 3-1-1 in nine starts, including a win in the WEBN Stakes at Turfway Park in February.
Kendall Hansen retains majority ownership of both colts.
Full Brother to Champion Hansen Born at Gainesway Farm
A full brother to Hansen was foaled Wednesday, April 19, at Gainesway Farm in Lexington. By Tapit out of Stormy Sunday, the newborn colt is owned and was bred by Dr. Hansen.
Tapit-Stormy Sunday 2017 foal, full brother to champion Hansen, bred and owned by Northern Kentucky physician Dr. Kendall Hansen (Credit Michael Hernon)
Tapit was the leading U.S. sire for the past three years, with record progeny earnings each year.
“For the last five years I’ve been praying for a full brother, a gray colt similar to Hansen himself, and finally we have him,” said Hansen. “I can tell from the hairs that he’s going to turn gray pretty soon. I’m excited to have a full brother to Hansen, and gray in particular, and to see how beautiful the horse is, the proportion of his body and his really long legs.”
Hansen campaigned his namesake colt to five wins and one second in nine starts, including victory in the highly competitive 2011 Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Churchill Downs. The horse was retired from racing in late 2012 and stood the 2013 season at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky., siring 102 foals.
He subsequently was sold to stand in South Korea, where he has sired an additional 28 foals to date. Of Hansen’s 129 foals of racing age worldwide, 67 have started and 32 are winners.
Among his progeny are one graded black type winner, three black type winners and six black type placers. Collectively, competing on dirt, turf and all-weather surfaces, his progeny have earned $1,699,478.
After Fast and Accurate’s Spiral Stakes win, in a year that arguably represents one of the strongest stallion groups in recent years, Hansen ranked among the top four on the North American second-year stallion list.
