Defunded

Defunded broke his maiden in his second career start, a maiden special weight race at Santa Anita Park on Mar. 6, 2021. He came from behind to win going away at 8.70-1. It was his first race since his career debut last August, when he was non-threatening sixth. 

The Dialed In gelding made his graded stakes debut in the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on Apr. 3, where he finished fourth after a late rally. In the process, he earned 10 qualifying points towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

Defunded went off as the favorite in both the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes and the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby later in 2021. He finished second in both of those races. 

Coming back in 2022, Defunded won first out in impressive fashion, taking a one-mile allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita by 3 ½ lengths on May 8. He then put in perhaps his best career effort in the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes, leading into the stretch before yielding by a length to There Goes Harvard.

After uplaced finishes in the San Diego Handicap and the Pat O’Brien Stakes at Del Mar, Defunded returned to Santa Anita and posted a mild upset win in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes on Oct. 1. He took the early lead under Edwin Maldonado and had more than enough in reserve to hold off stablemate and Dubai World Cup Presented by Emirates Airline winner Country Grammer by 1 ¾ lengths for a career-defining victory. Defunded earned an expenses-paid berth to the Nov. 5 Longines Breeder’s Cup Classic with the victory.

After skipping the Breeders’ Cup, Defunded returned to competition in the Nov. 27 Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar, which he won comfortably by 4 ¾ lengths as the 7-10 favorite.

Defunded kicked off his 5-year-old season with a second-place finish in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Presented by Baccarat Jan. 28, 2023.

He returned to Southern California for the Grade 2 $200,000 Californian Stakes on April 22 at Santa Anita. Sent off as the 1-5 favorite in a field of six, Defunded delivered a big three-length win in last-to-first fashion, going the 1 1/18 miles in a winning time of 1:48.91.

The next race for Defunded came in the Grade 1 $400,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita on May 29, where he topped a field of six horses in wire-to-wire fashion to in by a length. He ran the 1 1/4 miles in a winning time of 2:02.85 on a fast track.

Defunded sold for $210,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2019.