Grade I Winner Country Queen Euthanized

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Pensioned broodmare Country Queen, a former claimer who developed into one of the top grass mares in the late 1970s and in 1980, was euthanized Nov. 3 at Kim and Rodney Nardelli's Springwood near Lexington because of the infirmities of old age. The 27-year-old Explodent mare produced her last foal, a Gold Fever filly, in 1999 for Kim Nardelli.

Campaigned initially on dirt on the East Coast, Country Queen turned into a star after being switched to the grass and transferred to Southern California after being claimed for $30,000 at Gulfstream Park as a 3-year-old in 1978. In her first year of turf racing, she won the 1978 Honeymoon Handicap (gr. IIIT) and Del Mar Oaks (gr. IIIT), plus a division of the Autumn Days Handicap on grass after being moved up to first because of a disqualification. The next year was even better.

Trained by Randy Winick since being claimed by Maribel Blum, Country Queen captured the 1979 Yellow Ribbon Invitational Stakes (gr. IT), Ramona Handicap (gr. IIIT), Wilshire Handicap (gr. IIIT), and the Hawthorne Handicap on grass, and was a meet champion that year at Oak Tree, Hollywood Park, and Del Mar. The following year, she took the Beverly Hills Handicap (gr. IIIT) and another Hawthorne.

During her career, Country Queen won a dozen of 42 races, placed in 10 stakes, and earned $587,712. She never won a stakes on dirt, but managed to run second in the Vanity Handicap (gr. I) and Hollywood Oaks (gr. II).

Bred by Ocala Stud, Country Queen raced for owner Herbert Allen and trainer Eugene Jacobs before Allen lost her in that $30,000 claimer. Blum risked Country Queen in a $40,000 claimer at Gulfstream two weeks later, but found no takers. Country Queen was sent to California, where she made the rest of her starts. Blum's partners in Country Queen at various times included Winick, Mr. and Mrs. George Sarant, and John R. Gaines of Gainesway Farm. Country Queen concluded her career for Blum and Gainesway.

Country Queen, who was produced from the Rough'n Tumble mare Carrie's Rough, went through the 1984 Keeneland November breeding stock sale as part of the Gainesway consignment. In foal to Seattle Slew, she was bought by Seth Hancock of Claiborne Farm for $2.1 million. The resultant foal, Re de Slew, failed to win.

Country Queen produced a total of eight foals, six winners, including stakes winner River Char and three stakes-placed runners. One of the stakes-placed perfomers, Slipstream Queen, is the dam of European champion Slickly and 2002 U.S. graded stakes winner No Slip.

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