Champion and prominent sire Theatrical (Ire) has been pensioned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Lexington due to a combination of declining fertility and old age.

The 27-year-old by Nureyev out of the stakes-placed Sassafras (Fr) mare Tree of Knowledge (Ire) has sired 55 graded stakes winners and 496 winners from 762 starters that have amassed $74,792,522 in purse earnings.

Theatrical’s top runners include Irish classic winner Zagreb, multiple Group/Grade 1 winner Royal Anthem, multiple Grade 1 winners Shakespeare and Astra, Grade 1 winner Geri, Japanese champion Hishi Amazon, and 2002 Toohey’s New Melbourne Cup (Aus-G1) winner Media Puzzle to name just a few.

"Due to the infirmities of old age coupled with declining fertility, the proper thing to do is to retire Theatrical from stud duty," said John G. Sikura, president of Hill 'n' Dale Farms.

"Our success is based on how we care for these magnificent animals, so what's best for them always comes first. Theatrical will live out his retirement years at Hill 'n' Dale. It was an honor to stand such an important stallion of the American turf for the Paulson Family, whose influence is likely to live on through many generations to come."

Theatrical won ten of 22 starts during four seasons, landing six Grade 1 victories in 1987 for owners Allen Paulson and Bert Firestone en route to the Eclipse Award as champion turf male. He capped that season and his career with a half-length score in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1), a race in which he finished second by a neck to Manila in 1986.

Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott conditioned Theatrical during his championship campaign. He began his career in Europe with Dermot Weld and was transferred to Bobby Frankel for his final three races in 1986 before Mott took over the following year.

His other Grade 1 wins in 1987 were the Turf Classic Stakes, Man o’ War Stakes, Bowling Green Handicap, Sword Dancer Handicap, and Hialeah Turf Cup Handicap.

“Theatrical had the single biggest effect on my life as far as any horse. He was probably one of the best horses I have ever been around,” Mott said. "He was my first Breeders’ Cup winner. He was my first champion. He won six Grade 1s that year ... and then he’s turned out to be a very, very productive stallion. 

“I was fortunate enough to wind up with a couple breeding rights in him and train a lot of his sons and daughters. I had numerous stakes winners who were by Theatrical. … I think just the long-term effect has gone on for the last 20 years, really.”

Theatrical began his stud career at Paulson’s Brookside Farms in Versailles, Kentucky, in 1988 for an advertised fee of $75,000 and spent 14 seasons there. His stud fee rose to a high of $100,000 in 2002 during his first year at Hill ‘n’ Dale. Theatrical has amassed 81 stakes winners from 19 crops of racing age.