Paradise Creek dies at age 22

Paradise Creek, 1994’s champion turf male, died on April 4 in Japan, according to a Thoroughbred Times report, which did not provide a cause.

The 22-year-old Paradise Creek had stood at Maekawa Yoshinori on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido but reportedly was pensioned in 2010.

Paradise Creek initially raced for his breeders, Mr. and Mrs. Bert Firestone. For them he won the 1992 Hollywood Derby and placed in several other graded stakes, most notably finishing second behind Lure in the 1992 Breeders’ Cup Mile. The Firestones later sold Paradise Creek, a Virginia-bred Irish River horse, to Tokyo real estate tycoon Masayuki Nishiyama two races into what became a six-race win streak, culminating in a victory in 1994’s Grade 1 Manhattan Handicap. For his new owner, Paradise Creek also won the 1994 Arlington Million and Washington D. C. International. Sent to Tokyo for that year’s Japan Cup, Paradise Creek finished second, just a nose behind Marvelous Crown.

He retired from racing with 14 wins from 25 starts, including 10 in stakes company. He also finished second seven times and third once, and he bankrolled $3,389,416.

At stud in Japan, Paradise Creek’s best runners included champion juvenile filly T M Precure and Grade 1 winner Kanetsu Fleuve.

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