Raced by Tracy Farmer, Sun King was trained by Hall-of-Famer Nick Zito. Great trainers know a talented juvenile, and Zito’s bold move off a first win into the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes was justified by Sun King’s strong 3rd against the likes of Afleet Alex, followed by a 3rd in the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. At three, Sun King won the 2005 Tampa Bay Derby (G3) with Edgar Prado up. 4th place in a Blue Grass Stakes plagued by traffic led to the 2005 Kentucky Derby, one of the few races where Sun King didn’t do well. He ran 4th in the Preakness, won the Leonard Richards Stakes (G3) at Delaware, lost a hard-fought duel to Roman Ruler in the Haskell, and won the Pennsylvania Derby (G2) under Raphael Bejarano. A 3rd in the Jockey Club Gold Cup wound up that campaign. At four, Sun King won his most memorable race, the Commonwealth Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. Sun King’s newfound patience and Zito’s conditioning achieved an overpowering stretch run on a speed-favoring track. He finished 2nd in the Met Mile, Albert the Great Stakes and Whitney Stakes, and 3rd in the Woodward, becoming a multimillionaire. At five he finished 2nd in the Westchester Handicap, Woodward Stakes and Ack Ack Stakes. Though Sun King often just missed winning, the best son of Charismatic proved one of the fastest in the country from sprint through classic distance with career earnings of $2,240,008 in 28 starts with 6 wins, 7 places and 5 shows. Sun King stood at Darby Dan in Kentucky and Elite Thoroughbreds in Louisiana, retiring due to infertility in 2017. Old Friends thanks Tracy Farmer for enabling Sun King’s retirement to our Georgetown farm. Share sheet info – click here. Donate to sponsor Sun King. Receive a certificate and 8×10 photo