Stallion News

[starrydreamer]

Bernardini has been euthanized due to laminitis.

Sorry to hear this. I remember when I first saw a photo of him (as a yearling, maybe? It was on this board) and thought "wowza, handsome horse." I know people think he was a disappointment as a sire, but I thought he was pretty steady.

[TapitsGal]

Bernardini has been euthanized due to laminitis.

Preakness Stakes Winner Bernardini Dies Of Laminitis At Age 18
https://www.paulickreport.com/news/bloo ... at-age-18/

I wonder how and when he got it. I know he was actively covering mares at some point this year - Kalahari Cat was bred to him.

This breaks my heart. I was never a huge Bernardini fan when he raced...him winning the Preakness barbaro broke down in soured me on him. But I fell in love with Bernardini as a sire and it breaks my heart weve lost him so soon and to the same illness we lost barbaro too

[Ziggypop]

Well crap.

[Northport]

Another loss to the industry. I don’t think he was ever the superstar sire that Darley hoped he would be (and priced him at), but he definitely turned out a lot of nice horses.

Laminitis can be caused by any number of things, and can come on very quickly. We had a horse prone to it and if you gave her too many carrots (with their high sugar content) that could tip her right over the edge into foundering.

Also if he got injured on another leg it could cause him to founder on a good leg, like Barbaro or Lady Eli.

Unless Darley says something (doubt they will), it’s all speculation.

[KatieK101]

Bernardini has been euthanized due to laminitis.

This is the most shocking death of the year, to me. I had no idea he wasn't in amazing health, and he's still younger than many other top stallions. It looked like he was set to cover another nice book of mares, too.

He'll live on as a broodmare sire, but this is truly a loss

[KatieK101]

Bernardini has been euthanized due to laminitis.

Sorry to hear this. I remember when I first saw a photo of him (as a yearling, maybe? It was on this board) and thought "wowza, handsome horse." I know people think he was a disappointment as a sire, but I thought he was pretty steady.

Someone posted a few years ago that they thought he would be an "alright" sire, but a great broodmare sire. They're on the right track for sure. His leading earner as a broodmare sire is Serengeti Empress, and I know there are several others.

But he's also the sire of at least 15 G1Ws. Maybe not a superstar sire, but certainly not a disappointment, IMO.

[Slewfan2]

Bernardini has been euthanized due to laminitis.

Nooooo!!!

I love him so much....he was a fantastic racehorse. fine sire and a spectacular broodmare sire, but I just loved him period. Oh no....I was so upset when Indy died, but at least he lived a long life...Bernie was so young.

I hate today

[KatieK101]

Bernardini will live on as a star of a broodmare sire. His daughters have produced such horses as:

Catholic Boy o/o Song of Bernadette
Cezanne o/o Achieving
Clairiere o/o Cavorting
Colonel Liam o/o Amazement
Dunbar Road o/o Gift List
Key to my Heart o/o A Z Warrior
Maxfield o/o Velvety
Paris Lights o/o Paris Bikini
Point of Honor o/o Zayanna
Serengeti Empress o/o Havishamda
Spice is Nice o/o Dame Dorothy
Wicked Whisper o/o Zayanna

I know I'm missing a lot of others. I believe an article said that he was the youngest stallion to sire over 50 GSWs?

[Retrospectiv]

Another loss to the industry. I don’t think he was ever the superstar sire that Darley hoped he would be (and priced him at), but he definitely turned out a lot of nice horses.

Laminitis can be caused by any number of things, and can come on very quickly. We had a horse prone to it and if you gave her too many carrots (with their high sugar content) that could tip her right over the edge into foundering.

Also if he got injured on another leg it could cause him to founder on a good leg, like Barbaro or Lady Eli.

Unless Darley says something (doubt they will), it’s all speculation.

Given how many stud farms in this day and age still feed stallions literal bucketfuls of sweet feed, I'm surprised it's not even more prevelant than it is.
Large amounts of feed full of sugar and starch for horses not in intense work is just a ticking time bomb. And as horses get older, they are much more susceptible to insulin resistance and foundering. Strict feed, hay and pasture management can help manage and avoid a lot of that though.
Add in horses from that Slew/Indy line who are known for being porky and you just increase the risks. I hope that wasn't the case here, I'd rather hear it was injury related than just bad feed and weight management.

[Kurenai]

Retrospective beat me to it. I don't know if that was the case, but I can remember that I thought he was really overweight at some point (AP Indys are easy keepers anyway).

Now he can race with Barbaro and settle the Preakness debate once and for all. He was such a good looking horse!

[Izvestia]

I was always a big fan of Bernardini. He’s definitely left his mark, but it feels like he’s gone far too soon.

[Ziggypop]

Another loss to the industry. I don’t think he was ever the superstar sire that Darley hoped he would be (and priced him at), but he definitely turned out a lot of nice horses.

Laminitis can be caused by any number of things, and can come on very quickly. We had a horse prone to it and if you gave her too many carrots (with their high sugar content) that could tip her right over the edge into foundering.

Also if he got injured on another leg it could cause him to founder on a good leg, like Barbaro or Lady Eli.

Unless Darley says something (doubt they will), it’s all speculation.

Given how many stud farms in this day and age still feed stallions literal bucketfuls of sweet feed, I'm surprised it's not even more prevelant than it is.
Large amounts of feed full of sugar and starch for horses not in intense work is just a ticking time bomb. And as horses get older, they are much more susceptible to insulin resistance and foundering. Strict feed, hay and pasture management can help manage and avoid a lot of that though.
Add in horses from that Slew/Indy line who are known for being porky and you just increase the risks. I hope that wasn't the case here, I'd rather hear it was injury related than just bad feed and weight management.

I am with you. My brother did a veterinary residency at New Bolton and we have talked about how much and what they feed on these farms allowing their studs to get too corpulent.

[Missbeholder]

The latest video ad I've seen on TV for Curlin has gotten me a little concerned, and I don't really know a lot about what I'm looking at.

It has him being led in a slow walk, and, while I'm not sure "fat" is the right word exactly, he looks so bulked up. I know that the video camera can play tricks on the eyes sometimes, but he just looks so huge to me......unnaturally so.

Does Hill n Dale have a history along these lines? I've never heard about one if so.

[Mylute]

IIRC Curlin has never been considered easy on the eyes re: his build.

[Slewfan2]

I think Slew and Indy looked gorgeous, and if some consider them to have been fat, well...they were well loved and lived long, happy lives. I refuse to even consider that Darley didn’t do their best by Bernardini...and he certainly looked stunning. Horses are fragile; I don’t know how or why he got ill, and it doesn’t matter..,it’s just crushing to me.

[Equipoise]

I think Slew and Indy looked gorgeous, and if some consider them to have been fat, well...they were well loved and lived long, happy lives. I refuse to even consider that Darley didn’t do their best by Bernardini...and he certainly looked stunning. Horses are fragile; I don’t know how or why he got ill, and it doesn’t matter..,it’s just crushing to me.

Bernardini was a beautiful horse. So sad that he died so young.

I hate to say it, but Indy’s “easy keeper” qualities go back to his broodmare sire. Look at Big Red’s later photos and it’s obvious he had insulin resistance. Slew had a sway back but wasn’t particularly corpulent, though that may be because Three Chimneys exercised him regularly.

[Squeaky]

I think Slew and Indy looked gorgeous, and if some consider them to have been fat, well...they were well loved and lived long, happy lives. I refuse to even consider that Darley didn’t do their best by Bernardini...and he certainly looked stunning. Horses are fragile; I don’t know how or why he got ill, and it doesn’t matter..,it’s just crushing to me.

Bernardini was a beautiful horse. So sad that he died so young.

I hate to say it, but Indy’s “easy keeper” qualities go back to his broodmare sire. Look at Big Red’s later photos and it’s obvious he had insulin resistance. Slew had a sway back but wasn’t particularly corpulent, though that may be because Three Chimneys exercised him regularly.

Secretariat certainly was allowed to become obese later in life. He was always a horse who required a lot of exercise to not gain weight. It is too bad the farm allowed this to happen and did not manage his weight and health better.

[Mylute]

They've started showing ads for Maximum Security on the Saratoga Live/ABR streams and I'm not entirely sure what I expected.

[Northport]

Juddmonte's St Leger winner Logician (Frankel X Scuffle, by Daylami) has been retired to Shade Oak Stud, where he will be a National Hunt stallion.

[Northport]

In case anyone hadn’t gotten their cry in yet for the day… Darley posted a tribute to Bernardini

https://fb.watch/79ahXm41EW/