Pero Gomez br.c 1866 (Beadsman - Salamanca, by Student). Sire Line Eclipse. Family 27-a.

Bred at Leybourne Grange, Kent, by Sir Joseph Henry Hawley (1814-1875), 3rd Baronet, Pero Gomez was a full brother to the winner Vasco di Gamma (br c 1872) who was later exported to Victoria and left some good runners in New Zealand. Hawley also bred the sire of Pero Gomez, the Derby winner Beadsman (br c 1855 Weatherbit), and owned a number of other classics winners including Teddington (ch c 1848 Orlando), Blue Gown (b c 1865 Beadsman) and Miami (b f 1844 Venison).

Described as standing fifteen hands three inches, he was said to have excellent shoulders with a fine depth of girth although he stood somewhat upright on his pasterns and was thought weak through his loins and quarters. An amiable, good-natured sort in the stable, he was thoroughly game on the race course.

One of the best two year olds of 1868, along with the speedy Belladrum (br c 1866 Stockwell) whose respiratory troubles undid him at three and Pretender (b c 1866 Adventurer), Pero Gomez won the Middle Park Plate from the future One Thousand Guineas winner Scottish Queen (ch f 1866 Blair Athol) and ran a dead-heat with the Duke of Hamilton's Wild Oats (b c 1866 Wild Dayrell) in the Criterion Stakes. At three he easily won the Biennial Stakes at Newmarket and was considered unlucky to lose the Derby, by a nod that only the judge could see, to Pretender. At Ascot he won the (Ascot) Derby and finished 2nd in the Prince of Wales's Stakes to Martyrdom (ch c 1866 St. Albans). At Doncaster he won the St Leger from the favoured Pretender, who was done after a mile, and Martyrdom, who appeared to be gaining but was easily disposed of at the end. Two days later he defeated Pretender by half a length in the Doncaster Stakes. He walked-over for the Grand Duke Michael Stakes and the Royal Stakes before finishing 3rd to Cardinal York (b c 1866 Newminster), to whom he was conceding thirty pounds, in the Free Handicap, which was his final race.

Sold in 1871 for 3000 guineas he entered the Bonehill Stud. His best son was the Two Thousand Guineas winner Peregrine (br c 1878), although his son Pontiac (bl c 1881), exported in utero, won the Suburban Handicap and other races in America and became a useful stallion there. His best daughter was probably Connie (b f 1884), 2nd dam of the Ascot Gold winner Santoi (bbr c 1897 Queen's Birthday), from whom most of Family 1-p descends.