Victor Cooley, winner of the 1996 Queen's Plate, euthanized at age 29

Old Friends has reported that 1996 Queen’s Plate winner Victor Cooley was euthanized on Monday at age 29 at its Georgetown, Ky. farm, where he had resided since 2014.

According to attending veterinarian Dr. Ashton Broman, Victor Cooley suffered an acute onset of neurological symptoms, coupled with other pre-existing conditions.

Bred in Ontario and campaigned by the Begg family’s Windways Farm, Victor Cooley captured the Queen’s Plate and Marine Stakes at Woodbine in 1996. Trained by Mark Frostad, he was voted the Sovereign Award for champion 3-year-old in 1996.

Victory Cooley evolved into a top-notch sprinter-miler in 1997, when he took the Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont Park and finished second in the Grade 2 Forego at Saratoga.

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The former Frostad assistant Malcolm Pierce trained Victor Cooley from 1998 until his retirement in early 2000. The gelded son of Cool Victor won 13 of 39 starts for Canadian earnings of $705,062.