by Pete Denk

Harvey and Nancy Vanier’s Western Playboy, winner of the 1989 Bluegrass Stakes (G1), died at the couple’s Fairberry Farm in Waterloo, Illinois, on April 27.

One of the top earning Illinois-breds of all time and the state’s first millionaire, the 21-year-old Play Fellow horse won eight of 45 starts and earned $1,128,449. He died of a heart attack, said Fairberry’s Ann Holland.

“Two of the young yearlings jumped a fence, and Western Playboy got caught up in the excitement of the run and went bolting across the paddock,” Holland said. “He apparently had a massive coronary. I ran to him and stroked his neck and tried to comfort him. A big old tear rolled down his face while he was on the ground. He was a very special horse for everyone here.”

Bred in Kentucky by the Vaniers, Western Playboy was out of the Daniel Boone mare Westward Hope. His sire Play Fellow, also owned and trained by the Vaniers, won six graded stakes, including the 1983 Travers (G1) and Bluegrass Stakes (G1).

Western Playboy was buried in the Vanier’s front yard. He had been retired from stallion duty due to arthritis after covering seven mares in 2006.

“He was a little arthritic but still in good shape,” Holland said. “He couldn’t mount the mares, so we decided this year we’d let him be a horse.”

Western Playboy also won the Pennsylvania Derby (G2) and the Jim Beam Stakes (G2), where he equaled Turfway Park’s track record for 1 1/8 miles in 1:49. Raymond Roncari bought into Western Playboy following his Jim Beam win.

At stud Western Playboy sired 87 winners and four stakes winners from 146 foals of racing age. His best two runners were Grade 2 winner Southern Playgirl and Grade 3 winner Wade for Me, both of whom were owned by Nancy Vanier and trained by Harvey. Western Playboy’s progeny have earned $5,615,940.

Pete Denk is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer