Elmhurst, '97 BC Sprint winner and Our Mims pensioner, dead at 31

Elmhurst, winner of the 1997 Breeders' Cup Sprint, died Monday at Our Mims Retirement Haven in Paris, Ky., due to heart failure. The son of Wild Again was 31.

Elmhurst had resided at Our Mims, founded by Jeanne Mirabito, since 2011. Mirabito had been a fan of Our Mims, Calumet's champion filly of 1977, as a teenager, and later cared for the mare as a pensioner. Her experiences inspired her to found her Thoroughbred retirement organization, primarily as a home for retired broodmares. The gelded Elmhurst was out of Mimbet, a daughter of Our Mims.

Mirabito died last August at age 60 after a battle with cancer.

“Elmhurst was an amazing guy – a true gentleman that embodied everything I love about Thoroughbreds," Sidna Madden, director of development for the nonprofit, said in a release. "He proudly helped carry the name of the Haven in memoriam of his granddam, Our Mims. I will certainly miss his antics, along with his loving spirit too, but it brings a smile to my face knowing he and Jeanne, along with Our Mims and all the other ladies of the Haven that have gone before him, are now all reunited. His longevity is also a true testament to the care that all of the horses at the Haven receive.”

Elmhurst, who was bred by Calumet, was a late bloomer who rose to success while racing for Evergreen Farm and trainer Jenine Sahadi. He made his first start in a graded stakes race as a 7-year-old, finishing second in the Grade 3 Triple Bend Handicap in June 1997 at Hollywood Park. Three starts later, he won the Grade 3 Ancient Title Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita.

That victory earned him a spot in the 1997 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Hollywood Park, where he was sent away as a longshot. Elmhurst rallied to win by half-length, triggering a $35.20 payout. It proved to be the final win of his career, although he was graded stakes-placed the following season. He retired with a record of 51-8-11-6 and earnings of $1,100,567.