Finder's Fee dead at age 12

Finder's Fee, a dual Grade 1 winner, has died after colic surgery, the manager of Claiborne Farm, Gus Koch, confirmed Wednesday.

A 12-year-old Storm Cat mare and Phipps Stable homebred, Finder's Fee died on July 6. Her final foal is a Bernardini filly born on April 11.

Finder's Fee was believed to be in foal to Tiznow when she died, Koch said. News of her death was first reported by Thoroughbred Times.

Finder's Fee was a daughter of Grade 1 winner Fantastic Find, by Mr. Prospector. She won the 1999 Matron and the 2000 Acorn to secure her status as a Grade 1 winner. Trained by Shug McGaughey, she also won the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom in 2001, the Grade 3 Cicada in 2000, and the Astoria Stakes in 1999.

She placed in seven other stakes, most notably the Grade 1 Mother Goose and Grade 1 Test Stakes in 2000. She earned $708,128 from wins in 7 of 27 starts.

Finder's Fee has had three foals to race, the best of whom is Receipt. That Dynaformer filly, now 4, finished third in last year's Caveat Competor Stakes.

Finder's Fee also has a yearling colt named Golddigging and a 2-year-old colt named World Record. Both are by Awesome Again.