Bred by Odgen Phipps and foaled at Claiborne, Buckpasser was a horse who left racegoers speechless and turfwriters struggling to find adequate superlatives to describe his talent and class. Noted equine painter Richard Stone Reeves said, “Buckpasser was the most perfectly proportioned Thoroughbred I have ever seen.” New York racing official Dr. Manuel Gilman commented, “Generally, every horse has about a hundred faults of conformation. I would defy anybody to pick a flaw in Buckpasser.”
The winner of 25 of 31 career starts and $1,462,014, including the Champagne S, Hopeful S, Tremont S, Flamingo S, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Travers S, American Derby, and more, set a world record for a mile in 1:32 2/5 in the 1966 Arlington Classic. His staggering 15-race winning streak fell one short of the much-discussed record which lasted a half-century from Citation to Cigar. The streak ended with Buckpasser’s first and only grass attempt.
At Claiborne, Buckpasser sired 35 stakes winners from 313 foals (11%). Three Kentucky Derby winners trace to Buckpasser through their male lines: Spend a Buck, Lil E. Tee and Silver Charm. His daughters included two Broodmares of the Year (Toll Booth and Relaxing) and produced Classic winners Coastal, Easy Goer, Slew o’ Gold, Touch Gold, and With Approval, as well as distinguished sires El Gran Senor, Seeking the Gold, Miswaki, and Woodman.
Buried at Claiborne Farm.