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Lot # 8: "Spend A Buck" 1985 Eclipse Horse of the Year Award

Starting Bid: $5,000.00

Bids: 4 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed

Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Winter 2015 Catalog Auction",
which ran from 12/4/2015 9:00 AM to
1/8/2016 9:00 PM



There's no greater honor in the horse racing world than the Eclipse, which is the MVP trophy, in effect, and was bestowed upon Spend A Buck in 1975 after the thoroughbred snagged the Kentucky Derby in near-record fashion. It comes from the family of the horse's owner, Dennis Diaz and features the brass casting of a horse on top of a wooden base. The award itself is a work of art, and includes a plaque on the front that reads: "Eclipse Award 1985, Horse of the Year, Spend A Buck, B.c.,3. by Buckaroo-Belle de Jour, Owned by Hunter Farm." It is in EX-MT condition with slight tarnishing. Spend A Buck also won the Jersey Derby and Monmouth Handicap in 1985. After the Derby triumph, Diaz opted to skip the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes and thus trade Spend A Buck's chance to win the Triple Crown for a shot at the bonus. The gamble paid off as the horse captured a $2.6-million prize, the largest single purse in American racing history until Smarty Jones topped the mark at the 2004 Kentucky Derby.

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