THE KING IS DEAD : LONG LIVE VISIONAIRE

Visionaire
(Photo : Greig Muir)

VISIONAIRE (USA)
Grand Slam (USA) - Scarlet Tango (USA)

It’s been a sad old weekend for our friends at Ireland’s Coolmore Stud, the world’s most powerful stallion station. While there were odd shafts of light at a Dubai World Cup meeting where they amassed close to USD$3 million in earnings, courtesy mainly of a win in the UAE Derby and some frustrating seconds in the Sheema Classic and the Godolphin Mile, the big disappointment of the meeting for the Aidan O’Brien’s contingent must’ve been So You Think’s lacklustre 4^th in the World Cup itself. Not that it was the end of the world at all for an operation which bestrides racing’s biggest meetings like a colossus, but that wasn’t all.

The news of the extraordinarily successful sire, Montjeu’s passing on Friday (reported elsewhere in these columns within hours of it happening) was a mortal knock to John Magnier’s outfit at a time when their dominance of world affairs in the stallion department, was at an all-time high. And then, as if someone out there was waiting to administer the sledgehammer blow, Visionaire’s sire, Grand Slam, suffered a fatal heart attack. He was 17. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas and owned by Robert and Christina Baker, William Mack and David Cornstein, the son of fellow Lukas-trained MGSW and MGISP Bright Candles, kicked off his juvenile campaign with a track-record setting 11-length romp going 5 ½ furlongs at Belmont Park.

Later that fall, the bay added victories in the GI Champagne Stakes and GI Futurity Stakes before failing to finish in a problem-laden running of the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. At three, he added a score in the Gr.2 Peter Pan Stakes, finished second in the Gr.2 Swaps Stakes and Gr.3 Jerome Handicap and was also third in the GI Haskell Invitational Handicap. The Overbrook Farm-bred rounded out his sophomore campaign, and his career, with a runner-up finish in the 1998 GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint. At stud, he was the sire of 2003 GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Cajun Beat, and Canadian turf champion Grand Adventure, though his best performer was arguably the Summerhill Stud resident and 2008 GI King’s Bishop Stakes hero, Visionaire. His other standouts, among a highly commendable 73 Stakes winners from 11 crops (an average of almost 7 per crop), include Limehouse and Strong Hope.

Ashford Stud manager Dermot Ryan said, “Grand Slam was a pleasure to have here and he was very popular with breeders, as he sired nearly 800 winners and has progeny earnings of over $64 million.

DEATH OF GRAND SLAM

Grand Slam (USA)
(Photo : Coolmore)

GRAND SLAM (USA)
Gone West (USA) - Bright Candles (USA)
1995 - 2012

Grand Slam (Gone West - Bright Candles by El Gran Senor) died Saturday at Ashford Stud in Kentucky due to heart failure, according to a statement issued by Coolmore. He was 17.

Trained by D. Wayne Lukas and owned by Robert and Christina Baker, William Mack and David Cornstein, the son of fellow Lukas-trained MGSW and MGISP Bright Candles kicked off his juvenile campaign with a track-record setting 11-length romp going 5 1/2 furlongs at Belmont Park in July. Later that fall, the bay added victories in the GI Champagne Stakes and GI Futurity Stakes before failing to finish in a problem-laiden running of the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

At three, he added a score in the GII Peter Pan Stakes, finished second in the GII Swaps Stakes and GII Jerome Handicap and was also third in the GI Haskell Invitaional Handicap. The Overbrook Farm-bred rounded out his sophomore campaign, and his career, with a runner-up finish in the 1998 GI Breeders’ Cup.

At stud, Grand Slam sired 2003 GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Cajun Beat, Canadian turf champion Grand Adventure and 2008 GI King’s Bishop Stakes winner Visionaire (now a resident Stallion at Summerhill). He is also responsible for multiple graded stakes winners Limehouse and Strong Hope, in addition to Millionreasonswhy, the winner of last season’s GII Matron Stakes who is a contender for the GI Kentucky Oaks.

Ashford Stud manager Dermot Ryan said, “Grand Slam was a pleasure to have here and he was very popular with breeders, as he sired nearly 800 winners and had progeny earnings of over $64 million. It’s a sad day for the staff here who worked with him and for all the partners who were involved with the horse and who have always been fantastic to deal with.”

Extract from Thoroughbreddailynews