Quiet American dies at 30
Grade 1 winner and prominent stallion Quiet American, sire of two Eclipse Award champions and broodmare sire of two more, has been euthanized at age 30 at Darley’s Jonabell Farm near Lexington, Ky.
Quiet American, a son of Fappiano, had been retired from stud duty in 2013 at the farm, and continued to reside in its back stallion barn as an often-visited pensioner. He was feted with a 30th birthday party at the farm this year on April 29, his foaling date.
“To achieve what he did as a racehorse and as a stallion, and then be able to live a long and happy life, is really what one hopes for of any horse,” said Dan Pride, Godolphin America COO. “His legacy will certainly live on through his sons and daughters. He was such a favorite of ours as well as fans in general. We’re all going to miss him.”
Quiet American, a 1987 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall yearling purchase by Darley, initially raced in England before the operation shipped him to the U.S. He rose to prominence on the track age 4, winning the Grade 1 NYRA Mile and the Grade 3 San Diego Handicap, defeating champion Bayakoa in the latter. In total, he won 4 of 12 career starts, with four stakes wins or placings, earning $754,650. Quiet American retired to Gainsborough Farm for the 1992 season, and was moved in 2007 when Darley consolidated its stallion operations to Jonabell.
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Quiet American is best known as the sire of Real Quiet, who won the 1998 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and just missed ending the Triple Crown drought when beaten a nose in the Belmont Stakes. In total, the Eclipse Award champion won five Grade 1 events over three seasons of racing, earning more than $3.2 million.
In total, Quiet American sired 606 winners, including 59 stakes winners, for earnings of $64,398,536. His other top runners include champion mare Hidden Lake; multiple Grade 1 winner Switch, who bankrolled more than $1.4 million; millionaire Grade 1 winner Seattle Smooth; and Grade 1-winning juvenile Cara Rafaela. He was the sire of two popular statebred millionaires, in aptly named New York-bred Naughty New Yorker and Louisiana's all-time leading earner Star Guitar.
Quiet American also became a standout broodmare sire, with Cara Rafaela earning 2006 Broodmare of the Year honors for producing champion and classic winner Bernardini, now a successful young stallion at Darley. Another daughter, Grade 2-placed Quiet Dance, produced 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam.