Thornfield, Canada’s 1999 Horse of the Year, passed away Friday, January 20, 2023, at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Ranch in Georgetown, Ky., from an accident on a paddle, chairman and CEO Founder Michael Blowen announced today. He is 29 years old.
Bred and owned by Steve Stavro’s Knob Hill Stable, Thornfield was born in Canada on March 15, 1994.
The son of Sky Classic—Alexandrina, by Conquistador Cielo, Thornfield has been coached for most of his career by Phillip England and, with the exception of one race, only runs at Honeysuckle in Canada.
Bay gelding started his racing career at the age of 3 in 1997, but he didn’t get past his maidenhood until his fifth race at the age of 4 in 1998. Then , he won four races in a row.
His best season came in 1999 at the age of 5 when he won the Niagara Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2T), and then caused a huge disappointment to win $1.5 million. Canada International Stakes (G1T) as the longest shot in the field at 18.85-1 odds. Those two wins were also instrumental in his being awarded the 1999 Sovereign Award as Canada’s Horse of the Year and men’s field horse champion.
In addition, that year, he also finished third in his father’s race, the Sky Classic Handicap (G3T) and 13th in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) at Gulfstream Park.
Thornfield continued to race until 2002 when, at the age of 7, he entered an allowance race at Woodbine on 27 April, but failed to finish and had to retire. He finished his career with six wins, one second, three thirds and earned $1,206,074 in 19 starts.
After retiring, he tried to pursue a second career as a hunter/diver, but things didn’t go so well. He was then gifted to Old Friends and arrived at the farm on January 1, 2011.
In June 2015, Thornfield was one of five Old Friends retirees transferred to the ranch’s newly opened subsidiary in the Kentucky Downs. He lived there until July 2019 when the outbuilding closed, and then, along with the other horses there, he moved back to the main ranch in Georgetown, where he enjoyed the rest of his life. of retirement.
“Thornfield is the king of Old Friends in the Kentucky Downs and is loved by visitors,” says Blowen. “He’s both handsome and talented and we’re honored to have him at Old Friends for over 12 years.”
This press release has been edited by BloodHorse Staff for content and style.
