{{Short description|American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse}} {{about|the racehorse|the character in Charles Dickens's ''A Christmas Carol''|Ghost of Christmas Past}}
{{Infobox racehorse | horsename = Christmas Past | image = | caption = | sire = Grey Dawn | grandsire = Herbager | dam = Yule Log | damsire = Bold Ruler | sex = Filly | foaled = 1979 | country = United States | colour = Gray | breeder = Cynthia Phipps | owner = Cynthia Phipps | trainer = Angel Penna, Jr. | record = 14: 8-2-3 | earnings = US$563,670 | race = Coaching Club American Oaks (1982)<br>Monmouth Oaks (1982)<br>Ruffian Handicap (1982)<br>Poinsettia Stakes (1982)<br>Bonnie Miss Stakes (1982)<br>Gulfstream Park Handicap (1983) | awards = American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly (1982) | honours = | updated= }} '''Christmas Past''' (April 15, 1979 – December 13, 2008) was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. She was the American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 1982 when her wins included the Coaching Club American Oaks and the Monmouth Oaks.
==Background== Christmas Past was bred and owned by Cynthia Phipps of the famous Phipps racing family. She was out of the mare Yule Log, a daughter of eight-time leading sire in North America and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Bold Ruler. Her sire was the 1964 French Champion Two-Year-Old Colt, Grey Dawn. She was conditioned for racing by Angel Penna, Jr.
==Racing career== As a three-year-old in 1982, Christmas Past won five stakes races for fillies including the Coaching Club American Oaks by six lengths.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1982/06/27/sports/christmas-past-takes-oaks-cupecoy-s-joy-runs-second.html ''New York Times'' - June 27, 1982]</ref> Her performances earned her 1982 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly honors.
At age four, Christmas Past defeated her male counterparts in winning the February 26 Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Handicap in Florida. It marked only the second time in the thirty-seven year history of the race that a filly had won.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oyITAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zAUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5052,7013429&dq=christmas+past+phipps&hl=en ''Ocala Star-Banner'' - Feb 27, 1983]</ref> A week later her owner decided to retire her from racing saying it was because of a variety of minor physical ailments that could hamper her running especially when she would be required to compete under heavy handicap weights that could increase the risk of a serious injury. <ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/06/sports/christmas-past-is-retired.html ''New York Times'' - March 6, 1983]</ref>
==Retirement and stud== Retired to broodmare duty at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky, Christmas Past produced ten foals between 1985 and 2002, none of which won or placed in a stakes race.<ref>[http://www.pedigreequery.com/progeny/christmas+past Pedigree Query's progeny for Christmas Past]</ref>
At age twenty-nine, Christmas Past was humanely euthanized on December 13, 2008, due to complications from the infirmities of old age. She was buried in the Marchmont Cemetery at Claiborne Farm.<ref>[http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/49071/champion-christmas-past-dead ''Bloodhorse.com'' - February 4, 2009]</ref>
==References== * [http://www.pedigreequery.com/christmas+past Christmas Past's pedigree and partial racing stats] {{reflist}}
Category:1979 racehorse births Category:2008 racehorse deaths Category:Racehorses bred in Kentucky Category:Racehorses trained in the United States Category:Eclipse Award winners Category:Phipps family Category:Thoroughbred family 9-c