Elusive Quality, a world-record-setting miler and North America’s leading sire of 2004, has been euthanized due to the infirmities of old age, Darley said on Wednesday. He was 25. The son of Gone West was bred in Kentucky by Silver Springs Stud Farm and Marie Costelloe and was purchased privately by Sheikh Mohammed Al-Maktoum of the Godolphin and Darley operations. He was placed in the barn of trainer Bill Mott and didn’t debut until May of his 3-year-old season, winning by 11 1/2 lengths at Belmont Park. Later that season, Elusive Quality finished second by a nose to Honour and Glory in the Grade 2 King’s Bishop at Saratoga. Elusive Quality’s most lucrative season came at age 5 after switching to grass. He won the Grade 3 Jaipur and Grade 3 Poker handicaps at Belmont Park and set a world record for a mile on turf in the Poker at 1:31.63. Elusive Quality was retired at the end of his 5-year-old campaign with nine wins in 20 starts for earnings of $413,284. He entered stud at Gainsborough Farm in Versailles, Ky., owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s brother Sheikh Maktoum, in 1999. The stallion was moved to Sheikh Mohammed’s base at Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Ky., following Sheikh Maktoum’s death in 2006, and it would remain the horse’s North American base for the rest of his life. Elusive Quality debuted for an advertised fee of $10,000 but got off the mark quickly with his first crop of runners, led by French Group 1 winner Elusive City. His second crop was led by Smarty Jones, the winner of the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and that year’s champion 3-year-old male. Canadian champion sprinter Maryfield also came out of that crop. Elusive Quality finished 2004 as North America’s leading sire by progeny earnings with $10,756,659. The bulk of it came courtesy of Smarty Jones, who earned the $5 million Oaklawn Centennial Bonus for sweeping the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park and the Kentucky Derby. Elusive Quality’s fee had risen steadily to that point and hit $100,000 in 2005. “Elusive Quality represented so many things to so many people,” said Dan Pride, chief operating officer of Godolphin in America. “He was one of Sheikh Mohammed’s early racing successes here in the U.S., and he then was the second stallion to stand for him in America, with Quiet American being the first. His son Smarty Jones won the Derby and captured the hearts of a nation. And to the team here at Jonabell, he was just a pleasure to be around, and he’s going to be greatly missed.” Future Northern Hemisphere crops were led by European champion Elusive Kate, champion steeplechaser Demonstrative, Mexican champion El Capitan, 2008 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Raven’s Pass, Grade/Group 1 winners Quality Road, Elusive City, and Certify; Grade/Group 2 winners Enterprising and Shuruq; and Woodbine Oaks winner Roan Inish. Elusive Quality was a frequent shuttle stallion to the Southern Hemisphere, standing six seasons in Australia and two in Brazil. His Australian-sired runners are led by Sepoy, the country’s champion 2-year-old colt of 2011 and champion 3-year-old colt of 2012. Other runners of note include Group 2 winner Mr Big, Group 3 winner Stage Presence, and UAE Oaks winner Raihana. In Brazil, his foals are led by champion sprinter Sai de Baxio and champion juvenile Ana Luisa. As a broodmare sire, Elusive Quality has been responsible for runners including champion sprinter Roy H, Canadian champion sprinter Noholdingback Bear, Australian champion Guleph, Japanese champion Always Willing, Grade 1 winner Gomo, Australian Group 1 winner Shooting to Win, and French Group 1 winner No Nay Never. “I think we’ll continue to see Elusive Quality’s influence felt for quite some time, especially through the likes of successful sons like Quality Road as well as through his stakes-producing daughters,” Pride said.