Stay Thirsty is an AmericanThoroughbredracehorse sired by the leading stallionBernardini. He was bred in Kentucky by John D. Gunther and John Darren Gunther. His dam, Marozia, was sired by Storm Bird. Stay Thirsty was consigned as lot 1147 by Glenwood Farm to the 2009 Keeneland September yearling auction and was bought for $160,000 by Whitehorse Stables. His trainer, Todd Pletcher, bought him for his owner, Mike Repole, for $500,000 at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton sale of 2-year-olds in training in Florida.
Like his sire five years earlier, Stay Thirsty has won both the Grade IIJim Dandy Stakes and the 2011 Grade I Travers Stakes. In the Travers, in which he was favored to win, he competed against the top three leaders of the 3-year-old division: Shackleford, Ruler on Ice, and Coil. He was also the first horse since 1901 to win from the number 9 post. Stay Thirsty was ridden by Javier Castellano in the race, who also won his second straight Travers. Castellano was the first rider in 30 years to win consecutive Travers Stakes. The last to do so was National Museum of Racing and Hall of FamejockeyEddie Maple, who won in 1980 and 1981. Castellano also won the 2006 Travers Stakes while riding Bernardini, Stay Thirsty's sire. Stay Thirsty became the leader of the American 3-year-old colt division after the Travers win. As of that date, he became the most likely 3-year-colt to be considered the best of his class for 2011.
Remainder of the season
Stay Thirsty was third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes. He then finished poorly in the 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic, finishing next to last in eleventh place behind the race favorite, Uncle Mo, who finished tenth.
2012: four-year-old season
Stay Thirsty returned to racing on May 17 in the Vanlandingham Stakes run at Belmont Park, where he finished second to Trickmeister. In July, Stay Thirsty finished fifth out of seven horses in the Grade II Suburban Handicap, having exited the starting gate poorly. He completed his racing career in November with a win in the Grade I Cigar Mile.
Stay Thirsty has sired one Grade 1 winner: 'c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding
Pedigree
Stay Thirsty's sire, Bernardini won the 2006 Preakness Stakes, Travers Stakes, Jim Dandy Stakes, Withers Stakes and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He was sired by leading sire A.P. Indy, who also produced Mineshaft and Rags to Riches. His dam is Grade I winner Cara Rafaela, who accrued $884,452 in her racing career. Cara Rafaela won the 1995 Hollywood Starlet Stakes and the Alcibiades Stakes and was Broodmare of the Year in 2006. She has produced nine foals, including Ile de France and Bold Legacy. Stay Thirsty's dam, Marozia, was sired by Storm Bird out of the mare Make Change. She was exported to the United Kingdom in 1995 and raced with limited success until age four, earning £6,220. She returned to the United States from Ireland in 1998 and has produced ten foals. Stay Thirsty was her eighth foal, and she also produced the graded stakes winners Andromeda's Hero and Superfly, by Fusaichi Pegasus. Her dam, Make Change, won the Miss Liberty Stakes and produced eight foals, including the filly Time Changes.
