Kona Gold (KY)

A Kentucky-bred gelding who was based in California, Kona Gold applied his ultimate weapon — blistering speed at short distances — to establish himself as one of the most accomplished sprinters in American racing history.

Inducted

2026

Foaled

1994

Sire

Java Gold

Dam

Double Sunrise

Damsire

Slew o' Gold

Breeder

Carlos Perez

Owner

Bruce Headley
Irwin Molasky
Andrew Molasky
Michael Singh

Trainer

Bruce Headley

Career

1998-2003

Earnings

$2,293,384

Racing Record

30

Starts

Year	Starts	First	Second	Third	Earnings
Year	Sts	1	2	3	$
1998	6	3	1	1	$218134 $218,134
2000	6	5	1	0	$1042630 $1,042,630
2001	5	3	1	0	$392420 $392,420
2002	3	1	0	0	$128340 $128,340
2003	4	1	0	1	$95680 $95,680

Biography

A Kentucky-bred gelding who was based in California, Kona Gold applied his ultimate weapon — blistering speed at short distances — to establish himself as one of the most accomplished sprinters in American racing history.

With credentials that included an Eclipse Award, a Breeders’ Cup victory, track records at both Churchill Downs and Santa Anita, and 10 graded stakes wins, Kona Gold was a force to be reckoned with en route to the Hall of Fame.

Bred in Kentucky by Carlos Perez, Kona Gold was sold for $35,000 at the 1995 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. California-based trainer Bruce Headley purchased the bay son of Java Gold with partners Irwin and Andrew Molasky. High Tech Stable later joined the ownership group.

“He could run faster than anybody and he stayed sound,” Headley told the Santa Anita publicity department in 2009. “He had real good bone structure. He was just an honest racehorse … and when he ran, he ran.”

Headley prepared Kona Gold to begin his career as a 3-year-old in 1997, but a knee chip put those plans on hold until late spring the following year. After finishing second going 6½ furlongs in his career debut at Hollywood Park on May 31, 1988, Kona Gold broke his maiden with a 15-length romp at 6½ furlongs next out that July at Del Mar. With future Hall of Fame jockey Alex Solis in the irons, Kona Gold registered a 110 Beyer Speed Figure in the maiden-breaker. It was the first of 17 races in which Kona Gold earned a Beyer of 110 or higher. He won twice more in convincing style that summer at Del Mar with Solis settling in as his regular rider before ending his campaign third in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Churchill Downs.

Kona Gold won the 1999 El Conejo Handicap at Santa Anita in his 5-year-old debut — setting a track record of 1:01.74 for 5½ furlongs — but the remainder of his season proved somewhat frustrating with four consecutive second-place finishes, including a half-length loss to Artax in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Gulfstream Park. Kona Gold ran a career-best 123 Beyer in the contest, but Artax held on in a thriller, setting a track record of 1:07.89 for six furlongs with a 124 Beyer. Kona Gold was a 1999 Eclipse Award finalist in the sprint category but finished in a three-way tie for second with Forestry and Mazel Trick behind winner Artax.

Coinciding with the beginning of a new century, Kona Gold found his peak form. As a 6-year-old in 2000, he won five of his six starts, including graded wins in the Palos Verdes Handicap (G2), Potrero Grande Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2), Bing Crosby Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2), Ancient Title Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2), and Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). In winning the Sprint at Churchill Downs, Kona Gold ran six furlongs in a blazing 1:07.77, breaking the track record of 1:08⅗ that had stood for 14 years and setting a new Breeders’ Cup standard for the distance.

There were many magical moments for Kona Gold in 2000. He began his championship season with a two-length victory over rival Big Jag in the Palos Verdes in late January at Santa Anita. He followed that up with his lone loss of the year, a second-place effort in the seven-furlong San Carlos Handicap (G2), finishing a nose behind stablemate Son of a Pistol. A month later, Kona Gold won the Potrero Grande, covering the 6½-furlong distance at Santa Anita in 1:14.75 to defeat Old Topper by 4½ lengths.

After an 11-week respite, Kona Gold returned in July at Del Mar to win the Bing Crosby by three-quarters of a length over Love That Red. He then defeated Regal Thunder by three lengths at Santa Anita in the Ancient Title to take a three-race win streak into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Kona Gold’s record-breaking run in the Sprint at Gulfstream led to his unanimous selection as the Eclipse Award winner for Champion Sprinter.

Kona Gold remained in excellent form to begin his 7-year-old season in 2001, as he stretched his win streak to seven with a victory in the San Carlos Handicap (G1) and repeat scores in the Potrero Grande (G2) and Bing Crosby (G2). Another championship season, however, was not to be. Kona Gold’s win streak came to an end when he finished second to Swept Overboard in the Ancient Title (G1). He attempted to repeat in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Belmont Park but was never a threat and finished seventh. Kona Gold raced once more that year after the Breeders’ Cup, a fourth-place effort in the Frank J. DeFrancis Memorial Dash (G1) at Laurel Park.

Although he was unable to make it to the winner’s circle in the second half of his 7-year-old season, Kona Gold continued to produce strong speed figures and returned to race for two more years. He won the Los Angeles Handicap (G3) at Hollywood Park in 2002 as an 8-year-old with a 113 Beyer and finished fourth that year in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Arlington Park. As a 9-year-old in 2003, he won the El Conejo (G3) at Santa Anita by a neck on New Year’s Day for his 14^th and final career victory.

Kona Gold was retired later in 2003 with a career record of 14-7-2 from 30 starts and earnings of $2,293,384. He was offered a residency in the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions upon his retirement, but Headley believed it was better for the gelding to remain in California at the time. The trainer gave his champion some turnout time on his ranch and the gelding eventually became Headley’s stable pony.

Five years later, Kona Gold joined the Hall of Champions at the Kentucky Horse Park, where he resided in the stall formerly occupied by the mighty John Henry and shared a field with two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner Da Hoss. Unfortunately, Kona Gold was euthanized in September 2009 at the age of 15 after sustaining a severe fracture to his left front leg while exercising in his paddock.

“He was part of the family,” Headley told Daily Racing Form in 2009. “He was a great racehorse and had a great personality. He was a showman. You could pet him, where you couldn’t get close to some other horses.”

Kona Gold was the first horse to run in five editions of the Breeders’ Cup, making five consecutive starts in the Sprint from 1998 through 2002. His legacy in California was honored by Santa Anita remaining the Potrero Grande Handicap (G2), which Kona Gold won consecutively in 2000 and 2001, in the champion’s honor.

“He was a special horse. I got along with him so well,” said Solis, who won 5,035 races in his career and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014. “He had such amazing speed and great determination. I’m proud to have ridden him.”