Pin Oak sire Broken Vow, a Grade 2 winner on the track, dies at 25

Graded stakes winner and pensioned sire Broken Vow died on Saturday of natural causes at Pin Oak Farm in Versailles, Ky. A homebred son of Unbridled who raced for and stood at Pin Oak, Broken Vow was 25.

Trained by Graham Motion, Broken Vow won 9 of 14 starts and missed the board only once. His five stakes victories were highlighted by the Grade 2 Philip H. Iselin Handicap at Monmouth and Grade 3 Ben Ali Stakes at Keeneland in 2001; he also placed in four graded stakes.

Broken Vow's progeny are led by Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and divisional Eclipse Award champion Champagne Room. His 93 stakes winners include U.S. Grade 1 winners Cotton Blossom, Rosalind, Sassy Image, and Unbridled Belle.

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Broken Vow is also the broodmare sire of 53 stakes winners, including Eclipse Award champion Runhappy.

Broken Vow will now be buried at Pin Oak alongside other stallions Sky Classic, Peaks and Valleys, and Maria's Mon.

Pin Oak was founded by lifelong equestrian Josephine Abercrombie, who died earlier this year at age 95.

“Words cannot express the loss of Broken Vow to everyone here at Pin Oak,” longtime manager Clifford Barry said. “We had been with him from birth to breaking, his races and his stud career.

“[We] reflect on the many great memories he provided, how we cheered for him in the royal blue and gray silks of Pin Oak, and we cheered even louder for his offspring as if they were ours, and for the loyal breeders that supported him. He was a very special horse to be around – smart, classy, and a huge will to succeed. And if he could speak, he would have said thank you to the vets and grooms that cared for him throughout his life. It's testament to Ms. Abercrombie's program that he spent his whole life here at the farm. I know she's getting to feed him sugar again.”

Pin Oak ceased commercial operations last year with a dispersal sale of broodmares and racing fillies. At that time, Pin Oak still housed two homebred stallions – Alternation and Broken Vow. Broken Vow was pensioned and continued to reside at Pin Oak.. The younger Alternation moved to Darby Dan Farm for this season.