Kentucky Derby-winning sire Malibu Moon dies at 24

Classic sire Malibu Moon, a foundation sire for B. Wayne Hughes's program at Spendthrift Farm, died Tuesday in his paddock of an apparent heart attack, the farm reported that evening. The son of A.P. Indy was 24 and was owned by Spendthrift, fellow Kentucky farm Castleton Lyons, and Country Life Farm, all of which played a role in building his career.

“He started Spendthrift for us,” Hughes, who also bred and raced Malibu Moon, said in a press release. “Without Malibu Moon, we are not where we are today. It takes a special horse, and he was just that. This is a sad day.”

Malibu Moon finished second in his debut for the late trainer Melvin Stute before winning his maiden in his second start at Hollywood Park as a 2-year-old. That would prove his career finale, as he came out of the race with a knee injury. The young stallion began his career in 2000 at the Pons family's Country Life Farm in Maryland, and found national success from modestly-sized regional crops, with Eclipse Award champion 2-year-old Declan's Moon emerging from his second crop.

"Malibu Moon improved the lives of all the people he touched," Josh Pons said. "He paid tuitions for the next generations of Pons family – he put five kids through college. Malibu Moon moved up everything he touched.”

Malibu Moon moved to Kentucky for the 2004 season to stand at the Ryan family's Castleton Lyons. That was the same year Hughes purchased the historic Spendthrift property. After he spent several years restoring the property to be able to support a stallion roster, he brought Malibu Moon to his ultimate home in late 2007, where he served as the anchor of a stallion roster that has expanded greatly and now boasts two-time reigning leading sire Into Mischief.

Moving from Castleton Lyons to Spendthrift with the stallion was Wayne Howard, the current Spendthrift stallion manager who continued to care for his charge daily.

“Malibu Moon – ‘Boo Boo’ to me – will be sadly missed by all of us at Spendthrift," Howard said. "Personally, the 18 years I had the pleasure to care and work with Malibu Moon have been a journey I believe we both enjoyed immensely. He was most definitely the boss, I just followed his lead."

Malibu Moon is the sire of 138 stakes winners worldwide, according to Equineline statistics. His best-known runner is Orb, winner of the 2013 Kentucky Derby and two other graded stakes events that season. Along with Eclipse Award champion Declan's Moon and Sovereign Award Canadian champion Moonlit Promise, Malibu Moon is the sire of Grade 1 winners Ask the Moon, Carina Mia, Come Dancing, Devil May Care, Eden's Moon, Funny Moon, Gormley, Heavenly Love, Life At Ten, Magnum Moon, Malibu Mint, Malibu Prayer, Moonshine Memories, and Ransom the Moon; Peruvian Group 1 winner Emilia's Moon; and graded stakes-winning millionaires Farrell, Mr. Z, and Stanford.

Malibu Moon's influence will continue for years following his death, as he leaves behind several crops of foals. He covered 140 mares in 2018, according to The Jockey Club's Report of Mares Bred; the resulting foals from that season are current juveniles. Malibu Moon covered 131 mares in 2019 and 123 mares in 2020, the most recent year for which statistics are available. The 2021 breeding season is ongoing at the time of his death.

Malibu Moon also is well-represented as a sire of sires and broodmare sire. He has a dozen sons at stud worldwide, including Orb, who this year was sold to Uruguayan interests. Malibu Moon's three sons in this freshman sire class include Gormley at Spendthrift. The young stallion is represented by two early-season winners already.

Malibu Moon’s daughters have produced the likes of Eclipse champion Stellar Wind, Canadian champion Bold Script, and Grade/Group 1 winners Bellafina, By the Moon, Girvin, Lunar Fox, and My Conquestadory. Midnight Bourbon, a graded stakes-winning half-brother to Girvin, was second in last weekend's Preakness Stakes.

“Malibu Moon did so many things for so many people,” Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey said. “Our partners, Castleton Lyons and the Pons family, were so instrumental in helping develop his career and he rewarded them, and us, handsomely for it. He has truly been the horse of a lifetime.”