Sightseeing, sire of 2012 Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) winner So Many Ways, died Dec. 8 from complications due to intestinal surgery, Richland Hills Farm president Nathan Fox confirmed Dec. 12.
The 8-year-old son of recently deceased sire Pulpit was in Chile at Haras Santa Monica for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season when he began to display signs of discomfort, according to Fox.
"We don't know whether it was colic or some internal infection; I haven't seen the vet report yet," he said. "He was exhibiting signs of being uncomfortable so they took him to the clinic and did surgery and he didn't survive."
Sightseeing, winner of the 2007 Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II), was second in that year's Wood Memorial (gr. I) to Nobiz Like Shobiz and was third in the Jim Dandy (gr. II) and Dwyer (gr. II) while campaigning for Phipps Stable and trainer Shug McGaughey. He was bred in Kentucky by Ogden Mills Phipps out of the grade I-placed Pleasant Colony mare Resort.
So Many Ways, bred in Pennsylvania by John R. Penn and John C. Penn out of the Dehere mare Happy Scene, is the leading earner from Sightseeing's first crop of 2-year-olds with $307,800 from three starts in 2012. The undefeated filly, a $22,000 purchase from the 2011 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale, took the Schuylerville Stakes (gr. III) for owner Maggi Moss and trainer Tony Dutrow en route to the first grade I victory for her sire. She was also the first winner for Sightseeing, cruising to an eight-length victory while making her first start in a maiden special weight at Parx Racing June 9.
"(Sightseeing) had a grade I stakes winner in his first crop this year; he was on his way to big things," Fox said. "That's an unfortunate part of this business—it's nobody's fault, but sometimes fate can be kind of a brutal factor in this deal."
Richland Hills, near Midway, Ky., lost another stallion, Purim, to colic complications Jan. 14. Sightseeing, who entered stud in 2009 and was 11th on the North American sire list for progeny earnings at the time of his death with $500,904, was to stand the 2013 season for $7,500.
