Polar Falcon dies in England
Group 1 winner Polar Falcon, whose offspring include Group 1 winners Exclusive, Pivitol, and Shibuni's Falcon, was euthanized on Wednesday at Rossdales and Partners' Veterinary Clinic in Newmarket. The 14-year-old son of Nureyev, who stood at Cheveley Park Stud in Newmarket, was suffering from an illness attributed to a lung tumor.Polar Falcon won five of 14 career starts, including the 1991 Ladbroke Sprint Cup Stakes (Eng-G1) at Haydock Park, and earned $376,096. He was highweighted on the 1991 European and French Free Handicaps when he also won the Prix Edmond Blanc (Fr-G3) at Evry. In his lone North American start, he finished 11th in the 1991 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) at Churchill Downs in his final career start.
From seven crops of racing age, Polar Falcon is represented by 21 stakes winners, including seven group stakes winners. His leading runners include Exclusive, winner of the 1998 Coronation Stakes (Eng-G1) at Ascot; Pivitol, who captured the 1996 Nunthorpe Stakes (Eng-G1) at York; and Shibuni's Falcon, who was victorious in the Premio Roma (Ity-G1) at Rome last month.
His progeny have earned $7,794,078.
"We are all extremely sad to have, so suddenly, lost Polar Falcon at a time in his relatively short career when his progeny were performing at such a high level," Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley Park, told Racing Post. "Although only small in size, he was large in stature. He was a kind horse with immense character who offered us many magical moments on the racecourse and through his progeny."