Sprint champion Lit de Justice dies at 22

Lit de Justice, the 1996 champion sprinter and retired stallion, died last month in California, where he was pensioned in February due to infertility.

Lit de Justice was 22 and died July 20, according to Magali Farms, where the El Gran Senor horse stood before his February pensioning. Lit de Justice started his stud career in Kentucky, but relocated to California for the 2003 breeding season. In his stud career, he sired such runners as graded winners Hour of Justice and Injustice and graded-placed stakes winners No Parole and Silver Bird.

Lit de Justice placed in four French stakes before traveling to the United States, where he became an outstanding sprinter. In his championship season of 1996, he equaled a pair of track records when he won the six-furlong Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Woodbine in 1:08.60 and when he took Del Mar’s seven-furlong Pat O’Brien Breeders’ Cup Handicap in 1:20.06 . The following season, he set a 5 1/2-furlong Santa Anita track record when he won the El Conejo in 1:01.85. Lit de Justice earned $1,397,649 from 10 wins, 8 seconds, and 6 thirds in 36 lifetime starts.

Lit de Justice was a gray or roan son of Kanmary, a Group 3 winner by Kenmare. He was a full brother to 1994 Irish Derby third Colonel Collins and group-placed Captain Collins, a three-quarters-brother to Group 1 winner Commander Collins, and a half-brother to Group 2 winner City Leader. He is buried at Magali Farms in Santa Ynez.