Stay Gold (horse)

Stay Gold ステイゴールド
December 26, 1999, in Nakayama Racecourse
Sire	Sunday Silence
Grandsire	Halo
Dam	Golden Sash
Damsire	Dictus
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1994
Country	Japan
Colour	Black/Brown
Breeder	Shiraoi Farm
Owner	Shadai Racehorse Co
Trainer	Yasuo Ikee
Record	50: 7-12-8
Earnings	1,037,473,000 yen
Major wins
Dubai Sheema Classic (2001) Hong Kong Vase (2001)
Awards
JRA Special Award (2001)
Last updated on May 6, 2010

Stay Gold (ステイゴールド, March 24, 1994 – February 5, 2015) was a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse who had his greatest success in international races. He was sired by Sunday Silence and was out of the mare Golden Sash by Dictus.

Stay Gold made his debut at Hanshin Racecourse on December 1, 1996 but it was more than a year before he won for the first time. On September 7, 1997, he won a minor race, the "Lake Akan-ko special(阿寒湖特別)", and then did not win again for more than two years.

Between 1998 and 2000, Stay Gold ran prominently in many of Japan's top races, including the Diamond Stakes, Tenno Sho (Spring), Takarazuka Kinen, Arima Kinen, and Tenno Sho (Autumn). He collected 9 places and 7 shows, but victory proved elusive.

Although he didn't win any graded races, Stay Gold accumulated significant earnings. His title was "Major Racing Wins: Lake Akan-ko special" all the time, but had many other nicknames. He was called "the successor to Nice Nature," a Japanese race horse who won 6 graded races but was better known for his many placed efforts.

On May 20, 2000, he was ridden by Yutaka Take and in the Meguro Kinen and obtained victory for the first time in 2 years and 8 months. It was his only win of the year.

In 2001, Stay Gold began with a win in the Grade II Nikkei Shinshun Hai and was then aimed at the Dubai Sheema Classic(UAE-G2:then) at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse. Fantastic Light, winner of the previous year's World Series Racing Championship, was the clear favourite, with Stay Gold a 33-1 shot. Fantastic Light took the lead a furlong out, but Stay Gold rallied to get up on the line and win by a nose. It was the first victory outside Japan for Sunday Silence's progeny.