WinStar Farm's young sire and Eclipse champion Improbable dies aged eight

WinStar Farm's Improbable, the Eclipse champion older male of 2020, was euthanised on Saturday night in Lexington after suffering from ataxia behind, the farm announced.

"He was sent to Rood and Riddle yesterday morning to determine the exact cause of the ataxia," said Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager of WinStar Farm. "He was responding well to treatment, but went to lie down in his stall, and fell awkwardly. As a result, he broke his right tibia, which could not be repaired."

A son of City Zip, Improbable was a top-class talent with three consecutive Grade 1 races in 2020, taking the Hollywood Gold Cup at Santa Anita, the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, and the Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita.

Improbable was also undefeated at two, running out a five-length winner of the Los Alamitos Futurity, while he was also a stakes winner from two to four. 

Improbable: multiple Grade 1 winner during his racing careerCredit: Benoit Photo

He ended his career with a fine second to Authentic in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Classic, taking his earnings to $2,729,520 for WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Racing. The chestnut won seven times, six of those coming in black-type company.

Dr Natanya Nieman, general manager and resident veterinarian at WinStar Farm, added: "These horses are our life, and we work every day to take care of them the best way we know how. The whole team is reeling. Improbable gave us many great moments to share with our partners, our team, and the whole racing community. It is tragic."

Bred in Kentucky by St George Farm and G. Watts Humphrey Jr, Improbable was bought by Maverick Racing and China Horse Club for $200,000 from Taylor Made Sales at the 2017 Keeneland September Sale. 

Out of the A.P. Indy mare Rare Event, the eight-year-old covered 329 mares in his first two books and is represented by his first crop of two-year-olds this year.

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