Charismatic (horse)

Charismatic (foaled February 17, 1996) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who unexpectedly won the 1999 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Bred by Parrish Hill Farm and Stonerside Stable, he was sired by Summer Squall out of the mare Bali Babe.

Charismatic began his racing career slowly, losing his first six starts. However, in April 1999, he won an allowance race at Keeneland, followed by a victory in the Lexington Stakes. These wins, coupled with the perceived weakness of the Kentucky Derby field that year, prompted his owners, Bob and Beverly Lewis, and trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, to enter him in the Derby.

As a 30-1 longshot ridden by jockey Chris Antley, Charismatic surprised many by winning the 1999 Kentucky Derby, surging late to defeat Menifee. He followed this up with another victory in the Preakness Stakes, positioning him for a potential Triple Crown win at the Belmont Stakes.

During the 1999 Belmont Stakes, Charismatic suffered a career-ending fracture to his left foreleg near the sixteenth pole. Jockey Chris Antley dismounted and held the injured leg, preventing further damage. Although Charismatic finished third after the injury, Antley's quick actions were credited with saving the horse's life.

Following his racing career, Charismatic was retired to stud at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky. He was later sold to the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association and stood at stud in Japan before eventually being repatriated to the United States in 2012, standing at Old Friends Equine Retirement near Georgetown, Kentucky, until his death in 2017. His remains are buried at Old Friends. Charismatic's unexpected rise to prominence and the dramatic circumstances of his Belmont Stakes injury cemented his place in racing history.