Charles Fipke spreads his talents equally between discovering gems and polishing off Thoroughbred diamonds in the rough.

The original Mr. Prospector, Fipke helped discover the Ekati diamond mine twenty-five years ago. Although the geologist has since sold his remaining interest in Ekati, Fipke has maintained a sparkling record in horse racing. Take his homebred Forever Unbridled. In the April 15 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I), a $600,000 contest at Oaklawn Park, this beautifully bred filly notched her first grade I victory, coasting home 2 ¼ lengths clear of second-place finisher Streamline.

Kentucky-bred Forever Unbridled (Unbridled’s Song—Lemons Forever, by Lemon Drop Kid), trained under the keen eye of Dallas Stewart, is a testament to Fipke’s eye for quality Thoroughbreds. The four-year-old bay entered the Apple Blossom off back to back graded stakes scores. First, she eked out a head victory in last fall’s November 28 Comely (gr. III) at Aqueduct Racetrack. Forever Unbridled then kicked off 2016 by traveling to Sam Houston Race Park, where she posted a 1 ¾-length win in the January 30 Houston Ladies’ Classic (gr. III). After the Apple Blossom—her third consecutive win at three different tracks—Forever Unbridled now boasts a record of four firsts from ten starts and earnings of $911,600.

Forever Unbridled is a full sister to another standout filly in Unbridled Forever, who won the Ballerina (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course last summer. This is one powerful female family; the siblings’ dam is Lemons Forever, who scored an upset victory in the 2006 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). At 47-1, she was—and still is—the longest shot to ever take the Run for the Lilies.

Purchased by Stewart for $140,000 as a yearling at the 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale, Lemons Forever later sold to Fipke, via his agent, R.J. Bennett, for a hefty $2.5 million at Keeneland November in 2007. Lemons Forever has proven productive for Fipke. So far this year, Forever d’Oro, her 2013 foal by Medaglia d’Oro , has finished fifth in his first two starts. The 13-year-old mare foaled another Medaglia d’Oro colt in 2015 and returned to that accomplished sire for 2016.

But Fipke’s support for his horses doesn’t stop once they retire to stud. Most of his stallions stand at historic Darby Dan Farm in Lexington. Among those numbers is Fipke homebred Perfect Soul , an Irish-bred, grade I-winning millionaire on the turf. Fipke often breeds his best mares to Perfect Soul—and rightfully so. When bred to the son of Sadler’s Wells, his broodmare Lady Shirl produced 2011 Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) victress Perfect Shirl, a Fipke homebred.

Other mares Fipke sent to Perfect Soul include his homebred Iowa Oaks (gr. III) winner Seeking the Title (as well as her dam, herself a daughter of Personal Ensign); Tapatina, dam of Fipke homebred Internallyflawless, winner of the 2009 Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT); and, of course, Lady Shirl (who also produced grade II-winning Lady Shakespeare for Fipke).

But Perfect Soul isn’t the only talented runner now holding court at Darby Dan. There’s Jersey Town , a speedy, grade I-winning son of Speightstown , and Tale of Ekati , a horse named for Fipke’s most famous geological discovery. The latter, a son of Tale of the Cat , proved his versatility when, as a three-year-old in 2008, he doubled up on grade I victories in the nine-furlong Wood Memorial and the Cigar Mile.

Although he hasn’t yet won an American classic, Fipke has already made his mark on the Triple Crown trail. In 2013, his homebred Java’s War took the Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) and ran 13th in that year’s Kentucky Derby (gr. I), a race in which another Fipke homebred, Golden Soul (by none other than Perfect Soul), finished second. Last year, his homebred Tale of Verve (a son of Tale of Ekati) finished second to eventual Triple Crown hero American Pharoah in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I).

It’s not only in America, but his native Canada, that Fipke has excelled. His Danish Dynaformer placed in the Queen’s Plate and took last year’s Breeders’ Stakes, the final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, while Perfect Shower, a Fipke homebred by—who else?—Perfect Soul, annexed the 2009 Breeders’ Stakes. Canadian classic success runs in the family. Fipke’s Impossible Time (by Fipke-bred Not Impossible, a full brother to Perfect Soul) also took home a Sovereign Award as 2010’s top older female.

And Fipke isn’t only generous when it comes to his horses. Earlier this year, he made a $100,000 donation to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Several years ago, he contributed $9.1 million to his alma mater, the University of British Columbia, aiding the institution’s efforts to study Alzheimer’s disease. And then there’s UBC Okanagan’s Charles E. Fipke Centre for Innovative Research, an impressive academic structure that’s also eco-friendly.