Well Dressed, dam of World Cup winner Well Armed, euthanized

Well Dressed, the dam of 2009 Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed, was euthanized Monday at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky., due to complications from foaling. She was 19.

Her newborn Medaglia d’Oro colt is in good health, and has been placed with a nurse mare at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., where Well Dressed had resided for the past 15 years. The mare and foal are owned by Bill and Susan Casner.

“She was part of the family,” said Bill Casner. “The Dubai World Cup was the best moment for Susan and me in racing because of what Well Armed overcame, and this beautiful mare allowed us that opportunity. Well Armed has a special place in the history of horse racing, and his mother has a special place in our hearts.”

Bred in Florida by Scott and Diane Dudley, the daughter of Notebook was a $30,000 yearling at auction and was pinhooked at age 2 for $50,000, going to owner John Porter. Well Dressed won three of eight starts, all at Delaware Park for Porter and trainers Randy and Tracy Nunley, highlighted by a victory in the American Holly Stakes and a third in the Silver Spoon Stakes.

Upon her retirement, Well Dressed was bred to Awesome Again and sold to WinStar Farm, as agent for the Casners, for $150,000 at the 2001 Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

After producing a filly named Formalities Aside, Well Dressed was included in the first book of Horse of the Year Tiznow for her second mating, and had Well Armed. The gelding went on to win seven of 24 starts for $5,179,803, highlighted by his 14-length win in the Dubai World Cup a year after finishing third in the lucrative race.

Well Armed’s career was stalled by a broken hip sustained in a 2006 stall accident, which kept him off the track for a year and a half. However, he returned to add the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes, and the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap and San Antonio Handicap to his resume, along with his Dubai black type. Well Armed now resides on the Casners' Texas ranch.

Well Dressed went on to have 14 foals in total, with eight starters and seven winners. Her next foal after Well Armed was Grade 1-placed Helsinki, a son of Distorted Humor who stands in Sweden, and she later had Grade 3 winner Witty, also by Distorted Humor.

The mare has had four daughters begin their own broodmare careers, led by Formalities Aside, whose seven foals to race are all winners, including stakes winner Awesome Flower and stakes-placed runners Awesome Devine, If Not For Her, and Aye d’Eclaire.