Formal Gold
| Formal Gold | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Black Tie Affair |
| Grandsire | Miswaki |
| Dam | Ingoldsby |
| Damsire | Screen King |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | April 20, 1993 |
| Country | Canada |
| Colour | Dark bay |
| Breeder | Mr. & Mrs. Rodes Kelly |
| Owner | John D. Murphy Sr. |
| Trainer | William W. Perry |
| Record | 16: 8-4-1 |
| Earnings | $1,533,600 |
| Major wins | |
|
Donn Handicap (1997) Brooklyn Handicap (1997) Philip H. Iselin Handicap (1997) Woodward Stakes (1997) |
|
Formal Gold (foaled April 20, 1993 in Ontario) is a retired Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who raced in the United States. He is famous for defeating champion Skip Away in four of their six meetings, with major stakes wins including the Donn Handicap and Woodward Stakes. He ran three of the eight fastest Beyer Speed Figures of the 1990s, earning him recognition as one of the best horses who never won a championship.
Formal Gold is a dark bay racehorse sired by Black Tie Affair, who was the 1991 Horse of the Year and the sire of 35 stakes winners including Evening Attire. Formal Gold was the fourth foal out of the Screen King mare Ingoldsby, who ultimately produced seven winners from ten foals.
Formal Gold was sold as a yearling at the 1994 Keeneland September sales for $65,000, then was resold at the Fasig-Tipton New York sales for $72,000 to John Murphy, a steelmaker from Quincy, Massachusetts. Formal Gold was conditioned by William Perry, who was a successful trainer on the mid-Atlantic circuit of racetracks including Monmouth Park and Suffolk Downs.
Formal Gold was a late developing horse, not making his initial start until June 12, 1996, halfway through his three-year-old season. His talent had already been noticed though, as he went off as the odds-on favorite in a maiden special weight race at Monmouth Park, and won by 18 3⁄4 lengths. The performance earned him a Beyer Speed Figure of 112, the highest ever given to a first-time starter.
Moving up to allowance company, he won his next three starts as well, all as the heavy favorite by open lengths. Formal Gold then stepped up to graded stakes company in the Pennsylvania Derby run at Philadelphia Park on September 2. He was the even money favorite in a field of six but was bumped at the start and fell to last place. He gradually made up lost ground and struck the lead in mid-stretch, but the early leader Devil's Home rallied and eventually won by 3⁄4 of a length. On October 4, Formal Gold entered the Grade I Meadowlands Cup Handicap, facing older horses for the first time. He again broke poorly and raced near the back of the back for the first half mile, then started to make up ground on the far turn while racing four wide. He closed well in the stretch but fell 3⁄4 of a length short of the winner Dramatic Gold.
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