Two-time Breeders' Cup Mile winner Lure dies at 28

Hall of Famer and two-time Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Lure died Wednesday morning at his longtime home, Claiborne Farm, due to the infirmities of old age. The son of Danzig was 28.

Lure was co-bred and co-owned by Claiborne, trained by Shug McGaughey, and his regular rider was Mike Smith. He began his career on dirt, establishing a track record in his debut and becoming a Grade 2 winner. But he was transferred to turf in September 1992, winning an allowance at Belmont by 10 1/4 lengths, and never looked back. As a 3-year-old, in just his third start on turf, Lure won the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Gulfstream by three lengths over future champion Paradise Creek. His time of 1:32.90 was a course record.

In 1993, Lure, won six of his eight starts and never finished worse than second. He established a nine-furlong course record of 1:46.34 winning the Grade 3 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs, and added another trio of Grade 3 events – the Dixie, Daryl’s Joy, and Kelso – to stamp himself as the favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita, which he won by 2 1/2 lengths. However, the divisional Eclipse Award went to Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Kotashaan, who was also named Horse of the Year.

Lure added another Grade 1 the following season, winning the Caesars International Handicap. He also won a pair of Grade 2 events, the Elkhorn and Bernard Baruch, and finished second in three other graded stakes, including a pair of losses to Paradise Creek. Paradise Creek earned the Eclipse title after Lure finished ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs in his career finale.

Lure finished his career with a record of 25-14-8-0 for earnings of $ 2,515,289. He won 10 graded stakes and placed in seven others.

Lure entered stud at Claiborne for the 1995 season, but fertility problems led the farm to cash in an insurance claim on the stallion. He was purchased from the insurance company by Coolmore to stand at its Ashford Stud in Kentucky. Lure was ultimately pensioned and returned to Claiborne at the age of 14 in 2003.

From nine limited crops, Lure produced 72 winners from 133 foals of racing age, including seven stakes winners. Among his most successful offspring was Orpen, who won the Group 1 Prix Morny in France and also finished third in the Irish 2000 Guineas. Orpen went on to become a successful international sire, with his 112 stakes winners including champions in Argentina, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, and Turkey.

Lure also sired England's Legend, a stakes winner in France who shipped to the U.S. to capture the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes in 2001, along with two other graded stakes. Lure also sired Australian Group 3 winner Red Trinket.

Lure was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2013.