It seemed a foregone conclusion once William S. Farish and partners' homebred Mineshaft started gobbling up graded stakes after graded stakes last year, becoming the fifth added-money winner from as many named foals produced from the Mr. Prospector mare Prospectors Delite. So it came as no surprise when the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders named Mineshaft 2003 Horse of the Year and Prospectors Delite Kentucky Broodmare of the Year.Mineshaft, campaigned by Farish, James Elkins, and W. Temple Webber Jr., was an easy choice for national Horse of the Year and champion older male after scoring grade I wins in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Pimlico Special and Suburban Handicaps, and the Woodward Stakes. He won three others stakes, two graded, and closed out his career with earnings of $2,283,402. He stands alongside his sire, A.P. Indy, at Farish's Lane's End Farm near Versailles, Ky., for a fee of $100,000.Prospectors Delite and her dam, Up the Flagpole (by Hoist the Flag), were both bred by Farish. Campaigned by Farish, Elkins, and Webber, Prospectors Delite raced only eight months of her 3-year-old season, but was able to win six races and place in two stakes from nine starts. She scored grade I wins in the Acorn and Ashland Stakes and managed to run third in the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). She retired with earnings of $432,953.
Prospectors Delite commanded attention right away as a broodmare. Her first foal, Tomisue's Delight, commanded $575,000 from Steve Hilbert from the Lane's End consignment at the 1995 Keeneland July yearling sale. The daughter of A.P. Indy won two grade I stakes -- the Personal Ensign and Ruffian Handicaps--and earned $1,207,537.The success of the A.P. Indy/Prospectors Delite cross proved itself once again in the mare's fourth foal, Rock Slide, who won two stakes and earned $442,500. Rock Slide entered stud this year at Maryland Stallion Station at Shamrock Farms near Woodbine, Md. Prospectors Delite also produced stakes winners in Monashee Mountain (by Danzig) and Delta Music (by Dixieland Band). The former was bought by Coolmore associate Demi O'Byrne for $1 million from the Lane's End consignment at the 1998 Keeneland July sale. Sent to Europe, Monashee Mountain won all four of his starts, all stakes, two group.Prospectors Delite was euthanized in June of 2001 because of complications from laminitis. She had experienced problems after delivering a Storm Cat colt in February. The colt lived three weeks.
