For the price of a brand-new 83" OLED television, a mini vacation, or even an uncontested divorce lawyer, you too could have your own mound of valuable horseflesh that would go on to make more than $1 million-and-counting. One's own chunk of gold, if you will.
Purchased at Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky October Yearlings Sale in 2023 for a mere $2,500—the equivalent of a stick of gum and a sack of wishes in the Thoroughbred world—Terry Stephens' actual equine, Chunk of Gold, has flexed his 'gum'-ption heading into this year's World Championships, finishing in the top three in 12 of his 13 career runs, earning $1,051,511 and garnering more than his fair share of hurrahs from racing's hoi polloi.
Wearing his tenacity like a tunic, the Brereton Jones-bred son of Woodward Stakes (G1) winner Preservationist has earned arguably more respect in defeat than victory—of which he has three, including the West Virginia Derby (G3)—finishing hard-knocking seconds in the Louisiana Derby (G2), Ohio Derby (G3), Philip Iselin Stakes (G3), and Lukas Classic (G2)—the latter two being his two most recent runs. Taking his connections, including young trainer Ethan West, 33, across the spectrum from their first Kentucky Derby (G1) last year to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) this year—he has truly been the reward that keeps on giving at the end of the proverbial rainbow.
"He's a racehorse; an athlete," West said. "He's very competitive and tries every time we go over. He's got the best of both worlds because he's easy to handle, quiet and not hard on himself, but also does his job very professionally and really loves it. The more we ask of him, the more he does. He's just a class act and you can't say enough positive about him."
After a busy mid-sophomore season in 2025 that saw him miss the board the only time in his career thus far, finishing ninth in the Kentucky Derby from post 17 of 19, the grandson of top-class mare Gold N Delicious—winner of the Fleur de Lis Handicap (G3) and runner-up in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1)—has progressed with aplomb.
Finding his niche as a front-running bulldog, he capped 2025 with a half-length third in the Clark Stakes (G2), begrudgingly losing to a pair of Dubai World Cup (G1) winners—Magnitude and Hit Show—in the process. Given a break, he returned to finish second in a Churchill Downs allowance in June before a neck second to Bishops Bay in the Iselin and then a respectable runner-up to Dragoon Guard in the Lukas Classic.
"I don't like to look backwards—it's not like we can go back and fix things because the horse goes out there, you lead him over there, put him in a spot to run and he runs," West explained. "The trip kind of screwed us (in the Lukas Classic) at Churchill, where we got pressured by a longer shot and we went fast early and (jockey) Jaime (Torres) had to make a decision to either fight him or let him open up and relax and he made the right decision (the latter). At Monmouth, he ran his butt off. Bishops Bay came by him, and I wouldn't have changed anything there. And the first Churchill race, they went slow early and a horse just ran him down in his first run back."
Continuing to catch the eye at Keeneland in his preparations in recent days, the dappled gray colt put on his blinkers and proverbial boxing gloves Oct. 25 to knock out his final breeze, effortlessly going 4 furlongs in :49 2/5 and announcing himself to anyone paying attention as a genuine contender.
"I loved it," said West, who was aboard for the move. "He was nice and relaxed getting me to the pole and every time I asked him to stay right there in the bridle, he did it all on his own. He galloped out great, so I could not have asked for a better final breeze going into a race. That was our plan today. We like to work him six days out, just an easy breeze. I thought he worked great; 49 and change and all on his own. He was happy to be doing it and threw his ears up as soon as we were done. All positive stuff.
"He's more than fit," West continued. "The biggest question is, 'Is he good enough?' He's shown up every time we've led him over and run his race; run his eyeballs out, so if we can get him to do it again, it would be phenomenal."
One thing has become very clear to those tuning into the trajectory of this steady soldier—he is going to have something to say about the outcome of Saturday's 1-mile skirmish.
"He doesn't have a ton of wins, but he's made a lot of nice horses work really hard to get the win," West concluded. "A guy said it best—he might not win, but he's going to make them suffer to beat him. I thought that was a good way to put it."
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
