El Prado dead at 20: World loses splendid sire

In the wake of the loss of the great Gone West, it was particularly a shock for me to learn this evening of the death of El Prado at the "middle" age of 20.

El Prado reportedly died Monday in his paddock of an apparent heart attack.

A son of the stellar sire Sadler's Wells, out of Irish Thousand Guineas-winning mare Lady Capulet (Sir Ivor-Cap and Bells, by Tom Fool), El Prado had everything it took to be successful not only in the track, but in the breeding shed. And he did not fail to disappoint in either case.

The dashing gray won four of just nine races lifetime, but three of them were group-stakes (including the Irish National S.-G2) and was named Irish champion 2-year-old. Half-brother Entitled (Mill Reef) was Irish champion at age 3.

Their family included El Prado's fellow National Stakes winner Sir Wimborne (his dam's full brother), and their three-quarters brother Drone, who won 4-for-4 lifetime and went on to earn the note as the broodmare-sire of two Kentucky Derby winners, Charismatic and Grindstone. El Prado's second dam, stakes-placed Cap and Bells, was a winning full sister of Arlington Classic and American Derby-winner Dunce, and to stakes winners Ghan Fleet and Ace Destroyer. The female family also boasts numerous other blacktype winners, including: Almushtarak (Sandown Mile-G2); Kentucky Jockey Club S.-G2 winner Notebook; Turkish Treasure (Park S.-G3); Magic Mirror (the U.K.'s Norfolk S.-G3); and Dashing Colours (highweight older mare in Ireland from 7 to 9 1/2 furlongs).

Standing at Adena Springs in Kentucky, most recently for $75,000, El Prado unequivocally proved his worth at stud, and sired a versatile array of sons and daughters. His best include U.S. turf champion Kitten's Joy, classic-distance Grade 1 winner Medaglia D'Oro, Breeders' Cup Mile winner Artie Schiller, two-time G1 winner Borrego, French-raced G1 winner Spanish Moon, and Spinster S.-G1 winning filly Asi Siempre.

Led by Medaglia D'Oro (sire of the breathtaking Rachel Alexandra and others) and Kitten's Joy (whose first crop includes 2009 juvenile stakes winner William's Kitten) some of El Prado's sons are showing some of their sire's ability to pass along talent to their foals.

I certainly had expected to see another crop or two -- or five, or six -- from this excellent stallion, whose sons and daughters must carry on in his absence.

I believe they will acquit their sire well.

Photo: Louise Reinagel

Barbaro's baby brother could be Va. Derby-bound

If you didn't have enough reason to watch and care about the July 18 Virginia Derby-G2 at Colonial Downs, the Virginia Thoroughbred Association's blog states that Nicanor -- 3-year-old brother of the brilliant but ill-fated Barbaro -- has been pointed to the race by trainer Michael Matz.

Barbaro, as anyone not living under a rock (and a few who have been) would know was the unbeaten champion of the Kentucky Derby in 2007, but suffered a grievous injury in the early stages of the Preakness Stakes and was retired to fight for his life. He died more than eight months later, in January 2007, at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School's New Bolton Center, where he had been treated ever since breaking his leg in the Preakness.

Nicanor started his career with three races on the dirt without winning, but rocketed to impressive victories on the grass in his next two starts. That's unsurprising, considering Barbaro broke his maiden and was a graded-stakes winner on turf before switching to the main track for the Derby trail. I happen to believe that, had he lived to prove it and been given future races on the lawn, Barabro would've been known as being at least as good a grass horse as he was a dirt-runner and probably better.

The Virginia Derby has become one of the best turf races in the country apart from the Breeders' Cup, and should soon have earned recognition as a Grade 1 race. It's last five winners are Gio Ponti, Red Giant, Go Between, English Channel and Kitten's Joy, all went on to be Grade 1 winners, the latter pair champions. Colonial Downs is an absolutely beautiful, pastoral place to visit and it's quite near Colonial Williamsburg and not too far from Virginia Beach for those looking to make a week of things.

And this year, the Virginia Derby could feature Nicanor.

I'm scheduled to work that Saturday at home North Carolina. ... Crud!

But now what's your excuse for not going?