Machiavellian dead at 17

Machiavellian, a prominent European stallion and sire of Grade 1 or Group 1 winners Street Cry and Almutawakel, was euthanized late last week because of laminitis. He was 17.

Machiavellian's laminitis had prompted Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum's Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket, England, to withdraw the horse from the breeding shed in the spring.

A son of Mr. Prospector and the Group 3-winning Halo mare Coup de Folie, Machiavellian has sired 25 graded or group winners, most notably Street Cry and Almutawakel, both winners of the Dubai World Cup. He also sired Grade 1 or Group 1 winners Storming Home, Medicean, Best of the Bests, Rebecca Sharp, Patavellian, Invermark, and Right Approach.

Other offspring include graded or group winners Titus Livius, Whitewater Affair, Susu, Kahal, Majorien, Magic Mission, and No Excuse Needed.

From 12 crops, Machiavellian has more than $39 million in progeny earnings.

Machiavellian proved adept at getting high-quality winners on both turf and dirt, a quality that made him popular with American breeders despite his location in Newmarket. In 2002, Maktoum's bloodstock manager, John Ferguson, noted that 25 American-based breeders had sent horses overseas to the stallion.

Machiavellian raced for his breeder, Stavros Niarchos, who kept him in training with Francois Boutin. Machiavellian competed for two seasons. He won all three of his starts at 2 in France, taking the Group 1 Prix Morny and Prix de la Salamandre as well as the Prix Yacowlef, and was named 1989 champion juvenile there.

From four starts at age 3, Machiavellian won France's Prix Djebel and was second in the English 2000 Guineas. He retired in 1990 with a lifetime record of 7-4-1-0 and earnings of $355,790.