Three racehorses were born in 2013. One would win seven races in a row, including four Grade 1 races. The second colt would win thirteen out of his nineteen races, including six Grade 1 races. Each would sire Grade 1 winners. It would take over ten races for the third colt to win a Grade 1 race, and he was not successful as a stud. That chestnut stallion was Accelerate.
Purchased for $380,000 by Hronis Racing as a yearling, Accelerate was a striking chestnut, with a star on his face, one white sock on his left back leg and two cornet bands on his two right legs. He did not race until he was three years old. His first race was on April 17th and he finished 2nd.
Three races later, Accelerate broke his maiden. The chestnut won his next race by half a length ahead of Taman Guard and Semper Fortis.
In the G2 Los Alamitos Derby, Accelerate was the cause of a 13-minute inquiry about bumping a horse near the finish, but Accelerate won anyway.
He then tried for his first Grade 1 win in the Breeder’s Cup Dirt Mile on November 4th, but finished 3rd, a neck behind Gun Runner, the eventual 2017 Horse of the Year, and three and a half lengths behind the winner.
2017: Accelerate’s 4-year-old season
Accelerate began his 4-year-old season placing 2nd in the G2 San Pasqual Stakes. Mor Spirit and Hoppertunity beat Accelerate in the G2 San Antonio Stakes on February 4th. Accelerate placed 2nd and 3rd in his next two races. Then came the G2 San Diego Handicap. Accelerate would race against Arrogate, who had been undefeated since his second race and in 2016 was named American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse.
Accelerate won by 8½ lengths, with Arrogate finishing 4th. Accelerate’s trainer, John Sadler, said after the race, “He trained really well Sunday up at Santa Anita and showed a lot of pop when Victor worked him from the gate, and they kept telling me it was $50,000 for second. You don’t want to concede anything, but I’m surprised we won, because Arrogate is the best horse in the world.”
Accelerate tried running at 1 ¼ mile in the Pacific Classic and attempted to beat Arrogate again. Accelerate finished 3rd, 4 lengths from the winner. Arrogate placed 2nd.
Accelerate would then run in the Breeder’s Cup Dirt Mile again. He finished 9th, the worst finish of his career. Accelerate wrapped up his season with a 2nd place finish in the G2 San Antonio Stakes.
2018: Accelerate’s 5-year-old season
This would be Accelerate’s best season yet. He started his season with a win in the G2 San Pasquel Stakes winning by I ¾ lengths. On a sloppy track, Accelerate won the Santa Anita Handicap by 5 ½ lengths.
He placed 2nd by a neck in the G2 Oaklawn Handicap behind City of Light. Turns out, Accelerate and City of Light would match up again. Accelerate won the race by over 4 lengths.
The Pacific Classic was Accelerate’s next target. He was bumped at the start and stayed in third most of the race and won by a record-breaking 12 ½ lengths. Accelerate’s next race was the G1 Awesome Again Stakes. Near the final turn he was 3rd and then moved up to win by lengths.
2018 Breeder’s Cup Classic was Accelerate’s third Breeder’s Cup try. And as they say, third times the charm. Accelerate broke 5th and stayed in 5th until the final turn where he moved up and won by one length over Thunder Snow (2-time winner of the Dubai World Cup). “That horse is simply unbelievable… it was a great performance. He has so much heart.” Joel Rosario, jockey, following Breeders’ Cup Classic win.
2018 Horse of the Year honors were between Accelerate and Triple Crown winner, Justify. Justify won the honors and Accelerate was named 2018 Champion Older Male.
2019: Accelerate’s 6-year-old season
Accelerate’s last start was the G1 Pegasus World Cup. The chestnut placed 3rd on a sloppy track. He was retired to Land’s End Farm. He was ranked second in earnings in 2018 with Gun Runner first in earnings. Accelerate is one of only three horses to win the Santa Anita Handicap, the Gold Cup and the Pacific Classic in one season.
He was a disappointment at stud and only produced a few stakes runners, including Sugar Fish, the winner of the 2024 Summertime Oaks and the 2024 Zenyatta Stakes. In 2023, Accelerate was pensioned from being a stud and was moved to the Kentucky Horse Park to the Hall of Champions.
The other two champions born in 2013
Leave a Reply