Champion producer Alidiva died at the Taylor family's Taylor Made farm near Nicholasville, Ky., March 17. The Irish-bred daughter of Chief Singer had been pensioned for several years and died from the infirmities of old age. She was 27.
"She was a really beautiful mare...a strong, stoutly-built mare," said Duncan Taylor of Taylor Made. "Even the day before she passed, she looked like she could be 12 years old. She was a great doer and raised great foals. She'd throw quality in every foal; she did her job well."
On the track, Alidiva won three of five races in England, including the 1990 Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood Race Course. Sent to the United States in 2004, she produced 12 foals to race, including nine winners, four of which were graded stakes victors.
The mare's first three offspring were Irish-bred group I winners Taipan (by Last Tycoon), Ali-Royal (by Royal Academy), and Sleepytime (by Royal Academy).
Taipan, an earner of more than $1.1 million, had two group I victories in both Germany and Italy and was highweighted in both of those countries in 1998. Ali-Royal captured the 1997 Sussex Stakes (Eng-I) and earned England's highweighted older horse title that year. Sleepytime won the Pertemps One Thousand Guineas (Eng-I) the same year and was named Europe's 1997 highweighted filly.
Sleepytime went on to produce three stakes horses, including English group III winner Gentlemen's Deal.
Alidiva was honored for the accomplishments of her foals when she was named both Ireland and Italy's Broodmare of the Year in 1997. Among her other offspring are Irish-bred dual grade II winner Oonagh Maccool (by Giant's Causeway ) and multiple stakes producer Sometime (by Royal Academy).
Several of Alidiva's offspring also brought impressive prices at auction, including the winning Sadler's Wells mare Winds of March, who fetched $1.9 million at the 2007 Keeneland November mixed sale while in foal to Kingmambo.
Alidiva's last reported foal is a 4-year-old Giant's Causeway colt named Ali's Finale who is unplaced in one start. A half sister to French group I winner Crocro Rouge (by Rainbow Quest), Alidiva is out of the group III-placed Alleged mare Alligatrix. All of her offspring were bred by Charles H. Wacker.