Bill Peters, who raced multiple grade II winner Mariah's Storm, died Feb. 17, according to a Des Moines, Iowa, funeral home. He was 86.
Mariah's Storm raced for Peters' Thunderhead Farms. By Rahy, Mariah's Storm was a multiple stakes winner whose victories included the Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes (gr. II) and the Turfway Park Budweiser Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. II).
Following her racing career, Mariah's Storm was bred to Storm Cat. She was sold in foal to that stallion by Thunderhead at the 1996 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, where she was purchased by Coolmore Stud's John Magnier for $2.6 million. Her resultant foal, Giant's Causeway , developed into a European Horse of the Year and a major sire for Coolmore.
The film "The Dreamer" was loosely based on Mariah's Storm's racing career.
Peters also raced multiple stakes winners Battle Mountain, Lady Gin, Rodeo Fan, and Sand Ridge in the Thunderhead name.
Peters is survived his wife, Nancy, sons Steve and Jay, and a daughter, Stacy.