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Prospect Point (March 4, 1978 – September 23, 2016) was one of the longest lived Thoroughbred on record. He lived to the age of 38 years and 203 days before dying on 23 September 2016.

Background and Family

Prospect Point was bred in Kentucky by Forest Retreat Farms and Lloyd I. Miller. He was sired by First Dawn, an unraced minor stallion bred by the great Ogden Phipps. His paternal granddam, Lovely Morning, was a half sister to American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horses and Grade I winners Successor and Bold Lad. His damsire, Tronado, was an Argentinean bred who won graded stakes in both the United States and Argentina, most notably winning the Donn Handicap and Arlington Handicap.

During his racing career, Prospect Point was owned by Claudie M. Godsey, who also trained him. Godsey still trains horses as of 2017.

Racing career

In a racing career of five years, Prospect Park started 72 times, winning 7 races, finishing second in 8, and finishing third in 10. He collected $28,553 in earnings.

Though he raced primarily at Ellis Park, he also raced at Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Waterford Park (now Mountaineer Park), and Latonia Park (now Turfway Park). He never contested a stakes race or handicap.

Prospect Point broke his maiden on February 24, 1981 in a maiden claiming race. The race was his 9th start. His last win came on August 21, 1984, at Ellis Park, in a claiming race. He last raced on July 10, 1985 in the fifth race at Waterford Park, a $1,500 claiming race, in which he finished 11th.

He was retired some point after 1985.

Retirement

According to eventual owner Gail Earle, attempts were made to turn him into a polo pony after his retirement, but he did not take to the sport.

Earle, a resident of Pageland, South Carolina, acquired Prospect Point in 1988, and used him as a hunter-jumper until 1993, when he developed lameness issues. Afterwards, he was still ridden for recreational purposes. Prospect Point was ridden until age 32, after which he became a pasture horse.

In his advanced age, Prospect Point was noted to be quite healthy, happy and bright, which is rare for older horses. His main health issues were poor eyesight and arthritis, which prevented him from frolicking, something he often wanted to do. Like many older horses, he was slow, and had lost a few teeth over time. His favorite activity was playing with his pasture mate, a donkey.

Prospect Point's longest live record was broken by Japanese thoroughbred, named Arrow Hamakiyo, renamed Charlotte later, who lived to be 40 years old.

Death

Prospect Point’s health began to rapidly deteriorate in mid 2016. The horse had lost his appetite “out of the blue," and still refused to eat after being placed on antibiotics, losing a great amount of weight in the process. His body shutting down, Earle did not want him to suffer, so she made the decision to euthanize him.

Prospect Point was euthanized on September 23, 2016 at the age of 38 years and 204 days.

It is unknown as to why Prospect Point lived as long as he did. The average life expectancy for a Thoroughbred is between the ages of 25 and 28.

Merrick, Tango Duke and Others

The second longest lived Thoroughbred on record is Merrick, a track record-setting gelding born in 1903, who died in 1941. He lived to the age of 38 years and 52 days. Merrick is the horse for which the Merrick Inn in Lexington, Kentucky is named after, and he is buried there.

Reports have also stated that an Australian gelding named Tango Duke lived until the age of 42.

In Japan, as a male horse, Charlotte [ja] lived until he was 40 years and 81 days. Also, as a female horse, Rookie [ja] lived until 38 years and 67 days.

The living male horse Dead Solid Perfect is 38 years and 242 days old as of January 1, 2022.

Pedigree

References

1. ^ "At 38, Is Prospect Point the Oldest Ever? | TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions". www.thoroughbreddailynews.com. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
2. Michelson, Miles. "Prospect Point Horse Pedigree". www.pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
3. Michelson, Miles. "Lovely Morning Horse Pedigree". www.pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
4. Michelson, Miles. "Tronado Horse Pedigree". www.pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
5. Equibase.com. "Claudie Godsey profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
6. Equibase.com. "Prospect Point profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
7. ^ "Finley: Prospect Point may be oldest living thoroughbred". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
8. 日本最高齢の元競走馬シャルロットが40歳で大往生
9. "'Oldest Thoroughbred' Prospect Point Dies at 38 | TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions". www.thoroughbreddailynews.com. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
10. Michelson, Miles. "Merrick Horse Pedigree". www.pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
11. ^ "Oldest Living Thoroughbred Tells All | Raceday 360". Retrieved 2017-06-28.
12. "日本最高齢の元競走馬シャルロットが死亡、40歳の大往生". 競馬ニュース.tv (in Japanese). August 7, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
13. "最長寿牝馬のルーキー号、38歳と67日老衰の為、長い生涯に幕を閉じました。応援して頂いていた皆様ありがとうございました。 @ 駿ホースクラブ". Facebook (in Japanese). June 14, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
14. "39-Year-Old Thoroughbred in 'Rarefied Stratosphere'". Blood Horse. December 31, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
15. "Prospect Point Horse Pedigree".

• 1978 racehorse births
• 2016 racehorse deaths
• Racehorses trained in the United States
• Racehorses bred in Kentucky
• Thoroughbred family 8-f