by Pete Denk
Irish champion Woodman, sire of seven champions including American classic winners Hansel and Timber Country, was euthanized at Ashford Stud in Lexington on Thursday night because of declining health.
The 24-year-old Mr. Prospector horse‘s death leaves A. P. Indy as the only active stallion to have sired more than one American classic winner.
Woodman’s other top progeny include English champion two-year-old colt Mujtahid, European champion two-year-old filly Gay Gallanta, Japanese champion sprinter/miler Hishi Akebono, European champion three-year-old filly Bosra Sham, and Canadian champion three-year-old male Woodcarver.
Additional Group or Grade 1 winners include Hawk Wing, Hector Protector, Way of Light, Ciro, Mahogany Hall, and Chiselling.
Woodman is the broodmare sire of Group or Grade 1 winners More Than Ready, Snow Ridge, Mamool, Carry on Katie, Commentator, Ticker Tape, De Sica, and Sutra.
“Woodman is one of a very select group of stallions to have sired over 100 stakes winners and has been a terrific servant to his shareholders and to Ashford Stud,” said Ashford’s General Manager Dermot Ryan. “He will be sadly missed.”
Woodman’s 1,920 foals of racing age have earned $99,483,766 through Thursday. He is the sire of 38 group or graded winners and 109 stakes winners.
Warner L. Jones Jr. and Ed A. Cox Jr. bred woodman in Kentucky. He is out of the Buckpasser mare Playmate, a full sister to champion two-year-old filly Numbered Account.
Robert Sangster bought Woodman for $3-million at the 1984 Keeneland July select yearling sale from the consignment of Lee Eaton. He won three of four races as a two-year-old, including two Group 3 events, and was named Ireland’s champion two-year-old of 1985.
Woodman retired to Ashford Stud for the 1987 breeding season with three wins from five starts and earnings of $28,045.
Hector Protector, Mujtahid, and 1991 Preakness (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Hansel were in his first crop. That spectacular beginning at stud for the highly fertile Woodman led to a large book of mares, which has now become the norm at Ashford and many other stud farms.
Woodman’s stud fee, which went as high as $100,000 in 1991 and ’92, was $20,000 the last three years.
Woodman’s most accomplished sons at stud have been Hansel, Hector Protector, and Mujtahid. His newest hopes for an heir lie with multiple English Group 1 winner Hawk Wing, who already has Irish Stallion Farms Silver Flash Stakes winner Triskel in his first crop.
Woodman got more than 40 mares in foal this season.
Pete Denk is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer