Buckpasser (1963– March 6, 1978) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1966 Horse of the Year. His other achievements include 1965 Champion Two-Year-Old, 1966 Champion Three-Year-Old, 1966 Champion Handicap Horse, and 1967 Champion Handicap Horse. He was also the leading broodmare sire in 1983, 1984, and 1989.
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Background
Buckpasser was a bay colt that was bred and owned by Ogden Phipps and foaled at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. He was sired by the Horse of the Year-winner Tom Fool, and his dam was the stakes-winning mare Busanda, by the Triple Crown-winner War Admiral. Busanda's second dam was the "blue hen" broodmare La Troienne (FR). Buckpasser was a half-brother to several other horses that included the stakes-winners Bupers (won $221,688) and Bureaucracy ($156,635). Buckpasser was inbred in the fourth generation (4m x 4f) to the French racehorse and influential sire Teddy.
Racing official Dr. Manuel Gilman said of him, "Generally, every horse has about a hundred faults of conformation. I would defy anybody to pick a flaw in Buckpasser." Renowned horse painter Richard Stone Reeves said, "Buckpasser was the most perfectly proportioned Thoroughbred I have ever seen." Only two horses, Secretariat and Affirmed, have since been "in a class with Buckpasser".