Stallions Combatant, Imagining die as a result of colic

Two Grade 1-winning regional stallions who it was hoped would help carry on important sirelines recently died of colic.

It was reported Monday that Combatant, who stood his first season earlier this year at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, N.Y., died suddenly of colic at Haras Porta Pia in Chile, where he had shuttled for the Southern Hemisphere season. On Tuesday, Imagining, who stood at Anchor and Hope Farm in Port Deposit, Md., was euthanized during colic surgery at the New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania.

Combatant, 7, was a son of the late classic sire Scat Daddy, who died in 2015 when his star was still on the rise. Scat Daddy had an outstanding start with his sons at stud including No Nay Never and Caravaggio. His up-and-coming sons include Triple Crown winner Justify and the globe-trotting Mendelssohn.

Imagining, 14, was by the late European Horse of the Year and leading sire Giant’s Causeway. Many of Giant’s Causeway’s best sons stand overseas. His best sons in the U.S. are the consistent Creative Cause and First Samurai, and the rising Not This Time.

Combatant covered 85 mares in his first and only Northern Hemisphere season, according to Rockridge. The millionaire scored his signature victory in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in 2020 and placed in nine other stakes.

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Imagining raced as a homebred for Phipps Stable, and was from the distinguished family of champion Rhythm, Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Grade 1 winners Bluegrass Cat and Girolamo, and others. The millionaire won the Grade 1 Man o’ War Stakes and four other stakes races. He placed in five more stakes, four of those Grade 1.

Imagining entered stud in 2016 at Maryland’s Heritage Stallions, owned by a partnership between the Merryman and Bowman families. He moved to the Merrymans’ Anchor and Hope beginning in 2018 after the partnership dissolved.

From a relatively small group of runners – 94 starters from his first five crops – he is represented by 50 winners, including Grade 3-placed Maryland Million Classic winner Monday Morning Qb and Maryland Million Distaff runner-up Quiet Imagination.

The Mean Queen's sire Doyen pensioned

Doyen, best known in the U.S. as the sire of reigning Eclipse Award champion steeplechaser The Mean Queen, has been pensioned due to declining fertility.

The 22-year-old son of Sadler's Wells most recently stood at Sunnyhill Stud, and will be pensioned to owner-breeder Sheikh Mohammed’s Kildangan Stud, nearby in County Kildare, Ireland.

Millionaire Doyen won four stakes during his career, highlighted by the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot. He initially stood at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud in England and later moved to Gestüt Auenquelle in Germany. In 2012 was picked up by Sunnyhill.

Doyen is the sire of 34 stakes winners, both on the flat and over fences. The Mean Queen won three Grade 1 steeplechases last year to earn her Eclipse.