Menifee, 'Korea's Sunday Silence,' dead at 23

Dual Grade 1 winner and dual classic-placed Menifee, who became a prominent sire for the growing Korean breeding industry, has died. The 23-year-old Harlan horse died June 13 from a reported heart attack at the KRA Stud Farm on Jeju Island, according to Alastair Middleton of the Korean Racing Authority on the Horse Racing in Korea website.

Menifee, who raced as a homebred for Arthur Hancock III's Stone Farm, in partnership with James H. Stone, won 5 of 11 starts and only missed the board once while earning more than $1.7 million. A runner-up effort in the Tampa Bay Derby and a victory in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes propelled him into the 1999 Triple Crown series, where he finished second by a neck to Charismatic in the Kentucky Derby, second by 1 1/2 lengths to that same foe in the Preakness Stakes, and eighth in the Belmont Stakes. Menifee bounced back to win the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational, and concluded his career by finishing third in the Travers Stakes and third in the Super Derby, both Grade 1 events as well.

Menifee began his stud career at Stone Farm in 2000 before being sold to the Korean Racing Association to stand abroad beginning in 2007. He represented a major purchase at the time for Korean interests, which have leaned heavily on American bloodstock to develop the industry, as weather dictates that races primarily be run on dirt.

Menifee, whose first Korean-sired progeny began racing in 2010, was a quick success in his adopted home country, becoming its leading freshman and juvenile sire that season, and then leading Korea's general sire rankings for six consecutive years, from 2012 to 2017. Ecton Park, another U.S. import, dethroned Menifee on the 2018 list, but the stallion was leading the 2019 standings at the time of his death. For his exploits, Menifee has been dubbed "Korea's Sunday Silence," referring, of course, to another American-bred and raced stallion who became a breed-shaping sire in his country of residence. Sunday Silence, who stood his entire career in Japan, also carried the colors of Stone Farm.

According to Equineline statistics, Menifee is the sire of 47 stakes winners to date. Those are led by Power Blade, winner of Korea's Triple Crown - the Ttukseom Cup, Korean Derby, and Minister's Cup -- in 2016. Power Blade was a divisional champion in Korea three straight years from 2015 to 2017, and also picked up Horse of the Year honors in 2017, when he traveled to be Group 2-placed in Dubai. He earned more than $2.7 million in U.S. funds.

Power Blade is one of five Korean Derby winners sired by Menifee, along with champion filly Queen's Blade, who also won the Korean Oaks; Speedy First, who also won both those races; champion Final Boss; and Yeongcheon Ace. He is also the sire of 2014 Horse of the Year Gyeongbudaero and champion Meni Money.

Menifee's most successful runner from his time standing in the U.S. was Game Face, who won the Grade 1 Princess Rooney and five other graded stakes. He is also the sire of three-time graded stakes winner Just Jenda and graded stakes winners Burnish, Letgomyecho, Tattinger Rose, and Wow Me Free.