Mandaloun (foaled March 18, 2018) is an American retired Thoroughbred racehorse who was awarded 1st place in the 2021 Kentucky Derby after the disqualification of the original winner Medina Spirit. He followed this with wins in both the Pegasus Stakes and Haskell Stakes (the latter of which was also won via disqualification). He also won the 2021 Risen Star Stakes, and the 2022 Louisiana Stakes.
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Background
Mandaloun is a bay colt who was foaled in Kentucky. He is ridden by jockey Florent Geroux and trained by Brad H. Cox. The horse is named for a mandaloun, "a type of mullioned (or decorative partition) window from traditional Lebanese architecture".
Racing career
2020: Two-year-old season
Mandaloun made his first start in a maiden race on October 24, 2020, at Keeneland over 6 furlongs. He won this race by +1⁄2 lengths in a time of 1:11.76. His second start came on November 28 in an Allowance Optional Claiming race at Churchill Downs over 7 furlongs. He won in a time of 1:23.15 by 1+1⁄4 lengths.
2021: Three-year-old season
Mandaloun made his first start as a three year old and his stakes debut in the Lecomte Stakes on January 16, 2021, at Fair Grounds over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles. He finished third. Midnight Bourbon won by 1 length, Proxy was second by a head, the fourth place was 8+3⁄4 lengths behind the top three.
On February 13, Mandaloun started again against Midnight Bourbon and Proxy in the Risen Star Stakes, over a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles. This time Mandaloun turned the tables and defeated Proxy by 1+1⁄4 lengths and Midnight Bourbon by 1+3⁄4 lengths. The other horses were 5+3⁄4 lengths or more behind the top three. The final time was 1:50.30.
His last prep race for the 2021 Kentucky Derby was the Louisiana Derby; again he started against Midnight Bourbon and Proxy, but this time another rival, Hot Rod Charlie, started. Immediately after the start, Hot Rod Charlie took the lead and won wire to wire in track record time. Midnight Bourbon held on to finish second by a head while Mandaloun finished in a disappointing seventh place. Since neither Brad Cox nor Mandaloun's jockey Florent Geroux knew why he ran so badly, they brought him to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby.
On May 1, 2021, he was a long shot in the Kentucky Derby. The favorites were Essential Quality, his stablemate (winner of the Blue Grass Stakes), Rock Your World (winner of the Santa Anita Derby), and Hot Rod Charlie (winner of the Louisiana Derby). Other good horses in the running were Known Agenda (winner of the Florida Derby), Highly Motivated (runner-up in the Blue Grass Stakes), Medina Spirit (runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby), and his old rival Midnight Bourbon (runner-up in the Louisiana Derby). Mandaloun started well and was fourth. He slowly moved up and challenged the leader, Medina Spirit. Behind him, Hot Rod Charlie and his stablemate Essential Quality began to move up. There were four horses in the stretch. Medina Spirit won by +1⁄2 length, Mandaloun was second with +1⁄2 length, third was Hot Rod Charlie with a head to stablemate Essential Quality. 5th placed O Besos was 4+1⁄2 lengths behind them.
After the Kentucky Derby, an investigation was launched because of doping issues with Medina Spirit, who died on December 6, 2021; there was also an investigation of his trainer, Bob Baffert.
2022: Four-year-old season
On January 22, resuming for his four-year-old season Mandaloun out dueled his rival Midnight Bourbon in the GIII Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds as the 9/10 odds-on favorite by 3⁄4 lengths, running the 1+1⁄16 miles distance in 1:42.52. This would be his last victory, as he would have 3 more sub par finishes before retirement.
On September 13, it was announced that Mandaloun was retired from racing and would stand at Juddmonte USA at Lexington, Kentucky and that they set his stud fee at $25,000.