Gastrointestinal problem claims Northern Afleet at 25

Classic sire Northern Afleet, who showed his versatility with three diverse Eclipse Award champions, was euthanized Friday at Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, Ky., after the sudden onset of a gastrointestinal problem. The son of Afleet was 25.

In a release issued by Taylor Made, Dr. Charles Scoggin said that Northern Afleet was in normal clinical health and actively breeding mares up until Friday, and experienced an episode of acute abdominal pain that evening. At Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, a team of specialists diagnosed the stallion with severe gastrointestinal disease, giving him a poor-to-grave prognosis for survival. He was subsequently euthanized.

“Northern Afleet was like part of the family at Taylor Made and he was truly a unique stallion within the industry,” Ben Taylor of Taylor Made said. “Not too many stallions have sired a classic winner and a Breeders’ Cup winner, not to mention numerous Grade 1 winners over varying surfaces and distances of ground. Northern Afleet was the definition of versatility and was always considered one of the best value stallions around. He provided every breeder the opportunity to produce a top-class racehorse, regardless of the quality of their mare.”

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Northern Afleet is perhaps best known as the sire of the popular Afleet Alex, who won the 2005 Preakness and Belmont stakes to become that season’s Eclipse Award champion 3-year-old male. Northern Afleet is also the sire of 2017 Breeders' Cup Mile winner and Eclipse champion turf horse World Approval, and 2011 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and divisional champion Amazombie.

Northern Afleet was also represented by Grade 1-winning juvenile Negligee, who earned Sovereign Award honors in Canada. He sired three other champions worldwide, including Brazilian Horse of the Year Barolo.

Northern Afleet is the sire of 891 winners, including 91 stakes winners, for total progeny earnings of $75,952,965. A consistent stallion, he has produced a solid strike rate of 65 percent winners from foals of racing age, including current 2-year-olds, many of whom are still unstarted.

A multiple Grade 2 winner during his own racing career, Northern Afleet entered stud in 1999 at Double Diamond Farm in Ocala, Fla. After Afleet Alex burst onto the scene in the summer of 2004 with a victory in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes, Northern Afleet was relocated to Taylor Made.