Background
The Green Monkey was foaled on February 4, 2004, at Padua Stables in Florida. He was sired by Forestry, a Grade I winner and son of Storm Cat, one of the leading sires in North America. His dam was Magical Masquerade, a daughter of Unbridled, the winner of the 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic. His pedigree also included other notable names such as Secretariat, Dr. Fager, Bold Ruler, and Ribot.
Auction and Name
In January 2006, The Green Monkey was consigned to the Fasig-Tipton Calder sale of selected two-year-olds in training. He attracted a lot of attention from buyers due to his impressive pedigree and physical appearance. He also showed great speed in his pre-sale workout, clocking 9 4/5 seconds for a furlong, the fastest time ever recorded at the sale.
The bidding for The Green Monkey started at $500,000 and quickly escalated to millions. The final bid was made by Demi O'Byrne, an agent for Coolmore Stud, a leading breeding operation based in Ireland. He outbid Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and owner of Darley Stud, another prominent breeding farm. The final price was $16 million, the highest ever paid for a Thoroughbred at auction.
The colt's new owners gave him the name The Green Monkey because of their connections with The Green Monkey golf course in Barbados, named after the island's green monkeys. The colt was also foaled in the Chinese year of the green/wooden monkey.
Racing Career
The Green Monkey was sent to trainer Todd Pletcher, who had high hopes for him. However, he suffered from various injuries and setbacks that delayed his racing debut. He finally made his first start on September 15, 2007, at Belmont Park in New York. He was the heavy favorite in a six-furlong maiden race, but finished third behind Roi Maudit and Sixthirteen.
He made his second start on October 13, 2007, at the same track and distance. He finished fourth behind Giant Deputy in a field of seven. His final start was on February 9, 2008, at Gulfstream Park in Florida. He ran sixth in a seven-furlong maiden race won by Ready Set.
He was officially retired on February 12, 2008, after failing to break his maiden in his three career starts. He earned only $10,440 in total prize money.
Stud Career and Death
A portion of his ownership was acquired by Randy Hartley and Dean De Renzo, the same pinhook sellers who originally bought and sold him at auction in 2006. They partnered with Coolmore Stud to stand him at their Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds farm in Ocala, Florida, beginning in 2009. His initial stud fee was set at $5,000.
The first reported foal by The Green Monkey was a filly born on January 13, 2010. She was named Your Lovely and became a winner. His best progeny include Monkey Business, the winner of the 2015 Panama Triple Crown; Kinz Funky Munky and Green Doctor, both black-type winners in North America; and The Gorilla Man, a multiple stakes-placed runner in Puerto Rico.
The Green Monkey was not a successful sire, and his stud fee dropped to $2,500 in 2018. He was euthanized in May 2018 at Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds due to laminitis. He was 14 years old.
References
[The Green Monkey Horse Pedigree]
[The Green Monkey - Wikipedia]
[The Green Monkey: The $16 Million Dollar Horse - Horse Racing Nation]
[Equibase Profiles]
[The Green Monkey to Hartley/De Renzo - BloodHorse]
[First Foal by The Green Monkey Born - BloodHorse]
[The Green Monkey Progeny Racing Post]
[The Green Monkey Euthanized Due to Laminitis - BloodHorse]
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