Paynter (March 4, 2009 – November 10, 2023) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse noted for a three-year-old racing season that included a second-place finish in the 2012 Belmont Stakes and a victory in the Haskell Invitational, cut short by a near-fatal case of colitis requiring abdominal surgery, complicated by laminitis.

His struggle for life, updated via social media by his owners, gained him a large fan base and earned him the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Moment of the Year and Secretariat Vox Populi Award for 2012.

His surgery was successful and treatment for laminitis prevented harm to his feet, he was sent to the Fair Hill Training Center for recovery and rehabilitation.

In November 2013, he ran in the Breeders' Cup Classic and following the race was retired to WinStar Farm to stand at stud beginning with the 2014 breeding season.

After completing basic training, Zayat's adult son, Justin, selected Paynter, along with stablemate Bodemeister, to move on to the racing stable of trainer Bob Baffert.

[10] In an unusual move, he was taken directly from his maiden race to the Grade I Santa Anita Derby, where he had a troubled start and ran in sixth place before finishing fourth, 3+3⁄4 lengths behind the winner.

[7] Viewed as not quite ready for the Triple Crown races,[9] Paynter next ran in the Derby Trial, where, on a muddy track, he lost narrowly in the final furlong.

[7] In the Belmont, Paynter led for most of the race until the final furlong when Smith came off the rail, allowing winner Union Rags to slip through and win by a neck.

Ridden for the first time by jockey Rafael Bejarano, he followed the leader through the backstretch, then took the lead at the far turn, beating five other horses to win by 3+3⁄4 lengths.

[14] Paynter's winnings of $600,000 put him close to a lifetime earnings figure of $1 million, at $952,224,[16] considered impressive for a three-year-old horse who did not race as a two-year-old.

[20] He was hospitalized at the nearby Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center in New Jersey and then shipped on August 10, 2012, to Belmont Park, where he trained for several days.

[19] He was scheduled to be flown back to Baffert's home stable in California on August 27, but Paynter again developed a fever and diarrhea.

[23] Paynter developed an infection at a catheter site and blood clots in his veins due to problems with his protein levels.

[19] Although his blood test results and protein levels began to stabilize, he nevertheless developed laminitis in three of his feet on September 4, ten days after he arrived at the center.

[30] Paynter developed an increasing fan base as people followed the Zayat family's social media updates, drawing comparisons to the struggle of Barbaro a few years earlier.

The following morning, Paynter went into surgery and Southwood removed a 15-inch (380 mm) growth "full of puss [sic] and bacteria" from his intestines.

"[22] Nine days later, a press release came out stating that Paynter was "cleared of any lingering symptoms of both [colitis and laminitis]", and expected to fully recover.

Penny Chenery, owner of Secretariat, for whom the award was named, said "Paynter's popularity stems from his ability to battle and exceed expectations, making him the perfect choice as the recipient of this year's Vox Populi Award ... After seeing firsthand the devastating effects of this disease, I am even more convinced that the industry must continue to fight laminitis.

"[36] In January 2013, Paynter's survival and recovery was voted the "Moment of the Year" by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) in a field of 12 nominees, and the horse's connections were given that honor at the annual Eclipse Awards.

While numerous horses recovering from colitis and abdominal surgery have been able to return to their previous levels of competition, Paynter's successful recovery from laminitis was the biggest factor in his ability to resume racing.

[41] Justin Zayat said, "I thought I was winning the Kentucky Derby", and Baffert stated, "He is just an incredible, phenomenal horse, I can't believe he is back.

[3][23] Running for the first time on a different synthetic surface, Polytrack, in the grade 2 race, Paynter was the 3–5 favorite, and at 122 pounds carried the most weight.

After running close to the pace and taking the lead in the homestretch, he lost by a half-length to a late-running horse, Kettle Corn, at the finish.

Before his arrival, WinStar commissioned a unique,[56] colorful 20 feet (6.1 m) long graffiti-style mural, created by Louisville street artist Braylyn Stewart.

The artwork featured the slogan "Paynter: Awesome Heart", and was surrounded by quotations about the horse and assorted references to his racing career.

[56] In 2017, the first of Paynter's offspring began racing, and his first winner was a two-year-old filly named Dark Artist, who won at Monmouth Park on July 30.

[34] Paynter is closely related to 2013 Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow; the two horses share the same sire and are out of full sisters.

[69] Paynter's dam is Tizso, a full sister to Tiznow,[6] who was 2000 Horse of the Year and won the Breeders' Cup Classic twice.