Ibn Bey, second to Unbridled in Breeders’ Cup Classic, dies

Multiple Group 1 winner Ibn Bey, who finished second in the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Classic, died in Japan on Monday at age 28.

The Mill Reef horse, who stood his entire stud career at Big Red Farm in Japan, was pensioned from stallion duty in 2007.

British-bred Ibn Bey won 10 of 28 career starts, earning $1,626,059 while racing for five seasons in seven countries. He was named champion 3-year-old colt in Italy in 1987, on the strength of a victory in the Group 1 Gran Premio D’Italia. However, he found greater success in later seasons of his career, winning the Group 1 Europa-Preis in 1989, and taking both the Group 1 Grosser Preis and Group 1 Irish St. Leger the following year at age 6.

Ibn Bey, also a Group 2 winner in England and France, finished second to Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled in the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Belmont, his only start in North America.

Ibn Bey sired 79 winners for earnings of $15,937,010, including Taiki Herakles, winner of the Group 1 Derby Grand Prix in 1999 in Japan. He produced three other group stakes-placed winners.

Out of the High Top mare Rosia Bay, Ibn Bey was a half-brother to Yorkshire Oaks winner Roseate Tern.