Marquetry, Grade 1 winner and successful sire, dead at 26

Multiple Grade 1 winner Marquetry, sire of two Eclipse Award-winning sprinters, was euthanized on Feb. 1 at Michael Blowen’s Old Friends retirement home for Thoroughbreds in Georgetown, Ky.

The 26-year-old son of Conquistador Cielo was euthanized after suffering an injury in his stall at Old Friends. Veterinarians from Hagyard Medical Institute attended to Marquetry, according to Blowen, and a full necropsy report will be filed.

Marquetry arrived at Old Friends in June 2010 after being pensioned from stud duty that May. He last stood at Stonewall Farm in Ocala, Fla., and earlier stood at both Vinery and Stonewall Farm Stallions in central Kentucky.

Kentucky-bred Marquetry began his racing career in England for Juddmonte Farms and trainer Guy Harwood. He won one of four starts there and placed in a stakes race, but flourished once Juddmonte shipped the horse to the U.S. and trainer Bobby Frankel. From 1991 to 1993, Marquetry won seven stakes races—including the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup, Meadowlands Cup, and Eddie Read Stakes—and placed in 10 other stakes. He retired to Vinery with a career record of 10 wins, nine seconds, and four thirds from 36 starts and $2,857,886 in earnings.

Marquetry sired 519 winners, including 35 stakes winners, for earnings of $40,054,238 from 17 crops of racing age. His two best runners were both champion sprinters. Artax won the 1999 Breeders’ Cup Sprint along with two other Grade 1 stakes that season; the millionaire, who died in 2012, won or placed in 14 total stakes. Squirtle Squirt, who won the 2001 Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Grade 1 King’s Bishop Stakes, is now a stallion in Japan.

Other top performers by Marquetry include Grade 3 winners American Freedom, Uanme, and Mass Market; Group 2 winner Stella Grande; and multiple stakes winner and Massachusetts-based sire Max’s Pal.

Out of the stakes-placed Vice Regent mare Regent’s Walk, Marquetry was a half brother to Group 2 winner Spain Lane, Group 3 placed Queen's Gallery, and Reggie V, dam of multiple graded stakes winner Five Star Day. It is the family of five-time Grade 1 winner You.