Kris S. Euthanized; Sire of 63 Stakes Winners

Kris S., a leading sire and sire of four different Breeders' Cup winners, was euthanized May 7 due to complications from neck problems, it was announced by WinStar Farm. The 25-year-old Kris S. had been pensioned from stallion duty at Kenny Troutt and Bill Casner's farm since late February.

"Kris S. has been a real warrior since his injury and recovered enough to graze comfortably for the last month," said WinStar president Doug Cauthen. "However, he had a setback this weekend and it was time to let him go out with dignity. He had a high tolerance for pain--he had hoof problems with navicular when he first came here and he worked through it. He was tough, but it finally got the best of him His neck problems showed when he covered a mare. When he arched his neck, he would have spasms. He had a very, very sore neck."

Bred in Florida by John Brunetti's Red Oak Farm, Kris S. made only five starts on the track, winning three times including a victory in the Bradbury Stakes. A son of Roberto, out of the Princequillo mare Sharp Queen, Kris S. entered stud at Barbara LeCroix's Meadowbrook Farm near Ocala, Fla. His initial stud fee was $3,500.

A sire of five stakes winners from his first crop, Kris S.'s career took off when his Prized upset the 1989 Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT). Earlier in the year Prized had upset eventual Horse of the Year Sunday Silence in the Swaps Stakes (gr. II). Following the 1993 breeding season, Kris S. was moved from Meadowbrook Farm to Prestonwood (now WinStar) Farm near Versailles, Ky. after a controlling interest was purchased by Prestonwood in partnership with Taylor Made Farm and Summerfield Farm. That fall, Kris S. was represented by his second and third Breeders' Cup winners, Distaff (gr. I) winner Hollywood Wildcat, and Juvenile (gr. I) winner Brocco.

His other Breeders' Cup winner was Soaring Softly, winner of the inaugural Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) in 1999 at Gulfstream Park. Both Hollywood Wildcat and Soaring Softly were named champions.

Kris S.'s stud fee once reached $150,000 and his runners earned in excess of $48 million. As a commercial sire, his yearlings sold for more than $36.8 million--an average of $169,091. He has sold four yearlings for more than $1-million, including the $3.9 million Keeneland September sale topper of 1999, out of the Mr. Prospector mare Mr. P's Princess.

In all, Kris S. is represented by 63 stakes winners. In 2002, he is represented by Kudos, winner of the Oaklawn Handicap (gr. I), and Julie Jalouse. In 2001, he sired eight stakes winners, including Apple of Kent (gr. IIT) and Krisada (gr. IIT). Also in 2001, Kris S. runners swept the Lawrence Realization Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Belmont Park when Sharp Performance, Tiger Trap, and Whitmore's Conn ran one, two, three.

He sired six other grade I winners and is represented by several successful sons at stud in Kissin Kris (sire of Canadian champion Kiss a Native), Prized, and You and I (sire of three-time grade I winner You). As a broodmare sire, Kris S. is responsible for 27 stakes winners.

"His biggest influence might be as a broodmare sire," Cauthen said. "Horses like War Chant are an indication of what's to come. When he gets a good horse, he gets a good horse -- they're sound. He's a horse you can breed back to the Northern Dancer line and it's going to do well. His colts are popular, but long term, his fillies will be jewels."

Kris S. will be buried on the WinStar Farm grounds in a handcrafted pine casket painted WinStar green with the WinStar logo.