May 24, 2011 - Paddy O’Prado’s record run as “Iowa’s horse” is over.

The most accomplished thoroughbred ever owned by Iowans has been retired from racing because of a fracture to his right front ankle suffered while winning Saturday’s Dixie Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

Paddy O’Prado is owned by an 11-person partnership that includes 10 current or former Iowans. He ran third in the 2010 Kentucky Derby and was one of three finalists for the year’s champion 3-year-old.

He became so popular in Iowa that wagering at Prairie Meadows on the 2010 Kentucky Derby totaled $432,458, nearly twice as much as the previous high.

“When he got on the Kentucky Derby trail, the state just adopted this horse as their own,” said Jerry Crawford of Des Moines, who manages the partnership. “We all had this experience as partners where we’d be in a grocery store and somebody would say, 'How’s our horse going to do this Saturday?’ or 'How’s our boy training?’ The state just literally adopted him.”

Crawford bought Paddy O’Prado of a 2008 yearling auction for $105,000 and put together the Donegal Racing partnership that owns the colt.

Paddy O’Prado went on to become the first Iowa-owned horse to win a Grade I stakes, taking the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes in August. He also won the $500,000 Colonial Turf Cup and $600,000 Virginia Derby in 2010, the two richest races won by an Iowa-owned horse.

His 2010 campaign included winning the Grade III Palm Beach Stakes, finishing second in the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes and Turf Classic, sixth in the Preakness, and fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Overall, Paddy O’Prado won 5-of-14 races and $1.7 million. He was worse than third only three times while competing against the country’s best horses.

Read More: Iowa City Press Citizen