by Michael Burns

Two-time Grade 1 winner Mat-Boy (Arg), champion stayer and Horse of the Year of 1983 in Argentina, died of colic in recent days at Carlos Blaquier’s Haras La Biznaga in his native Argentina.

One of Argentina's greatest racehorses, Mat-Boy scored seven wins at three and four in Argentina, including the 1982 and ‘83 editions of the Gran Premio Republica Argentina (Arg-G1).

Sent to the United States, he won his first two of three starts, including the 1984 Gulfstream Park Handicap (G1) by 12 lengths while lowering the track record for 1¼ miles to 1:59. He retired with nine wins in 13 starts and earnings of $202,002.

Pensioned since 2000, the 28-year-old *Matun (Arg) horse out of Boyera (Arg), by Pastiche, ranked fourth on the Argentine general sire list in 1990 but gained greater prominence as an outstanding broodmare sire.

From 724 foals in 14 crops of racing age, Mat-Boy sired 184 winners and 42 stakes winners, including 1991 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Festin (Arg). His progeny have earned $8,888,569 through Friday.

Mat-Boy is the broodmare sire of Peru’s 2005-‘06 champion two-year-old male Muller, who won the first three legs of Peru’s Cuadruple Crown in 2006.

Michael Burns is a South America-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent