his Hall of Fame award in August 2006, Carl Hanford said, "I am here today because of one horse and one horse only. Although I've had a few stakes horses before, they didn't compare with Kelso. There is an old saying on the racetrack that 'a good horse is dangerous in anybody's hands.' How true that is. Of all the top trainers in the past that have had this honor, I may be a little bit prejudiced, but I don't think any one of them had their hands on a horse like Kelso." One of the greatest turf writers in history, Joe Hirsch, wrote, "Once upon a time there was a horse named Kelso. But only once." Retirement As a gelding, Kelso could not be retired to stud. Instead, he went on to a second career as a hunter and show jumper. In 1967, he was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. On October 15, 1983, the 26-year-old Kelso paraded prior to the start of the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park along with champion horse Forego and the still active John Henry in front of a crowd of over 32,000 spectators. It was Kelso's final public appearance – he died the next day on October 16, 1983. He is buried in the equine cemetery at Allaire du Pont's Woodstock Farm in Chesapeake City, Maryland. Pedigree Further reading Kelso: The Horse of Gold by Linda Kennedy (2007) Westholme Publishing Kelso: Thoroughbred Legends by Steve Haskin (2003) Eclipse Press . Thoroughbred Champions: Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century (2005) The Blood Horse A Sound of Horses: The World of Racing From Eclipse to Kelso by David Alexander (1966) The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc. LCCN: 66-15533 See also Repeat winners of horse races List of historical horses Footnotes - A male horse who has been castrated for any number of reasons. In Kelso's case, it was cantankerousness. (As a counterpoint to this theory, in his book, A Sound of Horses, David Alexander, the noted racing columnist, who knew Kelso, and his human entourage, stated that Dr. Lee, his trainer and veterinarian, recommended that he be gelded to correct a problem with his stride. It was also hoped it would help him put on weight. Mr. Alexander said that Kelso was a rather shy, even introverted horse, and that when he seemed to be feeling particularly insecure,