At 12 years old, Blue Prize died, one of the best Argentine mares of all time
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Complications during foaling took the life of the chestnut mare, who won the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) in 2019
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).- Blue Prize, the phenomenal Blue Prize, died a few hours ago at OXO Equine after suffering complications during foaling. She was only 12 years old—13 already in the Northern Hemisphere—and was one of the best racing mares in the history of Argentine turf.
Bred by Haras La Manija, the chestnut was the 2016 Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in Argentina, where she achieved 2 victories in 4 starts, highlighted by her conquest in the Gran Premio Selección (G1), in addition to having finished second in the Gran Premio Polla de Potrancas (G1) and in the Clásico General Luis María Campos (G2), always under the training of Jorge Mayansky Neer.
Acquired by Merriebelle Stable to continue her campaign in the United States, she was sent to the Argentine Ignacio Correas (h.), with whom she forged one of the best careers remembered for a national horse on northern tracks.
There, she prevailed on 8 occasions, earning $2,692,253 in prize money, with the unforgettable milestone of her victory in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) on the dirt at Santa Anita Park. Additionally, she won twice the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) at Keeneland, the Falls City Handicap (G2), the Fleur de Lis Handicap (G2), the Locust Grove Stakes (G3), the Top Flight Invitational Stakes (L), and the Summer Colony Stakes (L). To that list of victories, many placings must be added, including thirds in the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes and the La Troienne Stakes (G1).
Sold for $5,000,000 at Fasig-Tipton's The November Sale in 2019, Blue Prize passed into the hands of OXO Equine, and in 2020 she was covered by Into Mischief, a cross from which Playback emerged, who won once at Ellis Parklast season.
In 2022, Blue Prize foaled Flock Hill (Instagrand), a filly by Instagrand with no racing record to date; and in 2023 she gave birth to Boylston (Practical Joke), who a couple of weeks ago had his first timed work at the Winstar Training Center.
Blue Prize was a daughter of the champion sire Pure Prize and the great Blues for Sale (Not for Sale), a G2 winner and also the dam of the champion Blue Stripe (Equal Stripes), a G1 winner in Argentina and the USA and second in the Breeders' Cup Distaff; the G2 winner Blue Caviar (Equal Stripes); the graded stakes placed Barón Blue(Orpen); the consistent Blue's Melodie (Pure Prize); and Batalla Sindical (Big Brown), who this year is represented in the United States by her son Layabout (Laoban).
The early loss of a mare like Blue Prize is clearly irreparable; she was one of the 3 Argentine mares to win the Distaff, along with Bayakoa (Consultant's Bid)—who, coincidentally, died at the same age—and Paseana (Ahmad), who left only one offspring.
That pure-class chestnut may have departed the earthly world, but she will never leave the memory and heart of all the racing fans who, here and in the north, enjoyed her unique competitive generosity.
