Bernstein, the sire of 70 stakes winners, was euthanized Oct. 23 because of complications from colic. The 14-year-old stallion by Storm Cat out of the Affirmed mare La Affirmed stood at Castleton Lyons near Lexington. His 2011 fee was $20,000.
“Today is a very sad day for all of us on the farm as Bernstein was a very special stallion that in an all too brief career at stud has sired top class horses throughout the world,” said farm president Shane Ryan. “I would like to thank Doctors Nathan Slovis, Laura Werner, and Dwayne Rodgerson of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, and the management and staff of Castleton Lyons for their great efforts to try and save Bernstein today. I would also like to thank all of our clients that supported this stallion and I would hope that Bernstein’s influence in the bloodstock world will be felt for many years to come.”
Bernstein, who initially stood at Douglas Arnold’s Buck Pond Farm near Versailles, Ky., and shuttled to Argentina, sired grade I winners Dream Empress and Miss World, plus several other graded winners.
Bernstein’s runners also enjoyed major success outside North America. Bernstein was represented by Japanese champion Goshawk Ken and Argentine champions Storm Military, Savoir Bien, Storm Mayor, and Storm Marcopolo. Bernstein was a two-time leading sire in Argentina.
Bernstein’s runners have earned more than $33.8 million.
Bred in Kentucky by Elizabeth Moran’s Brushwood Stable, Bernstein was purchased as a weanling for $925,000 at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale by Coolmore Stud associate Demi O’Byrne from Eaton Sales, agent.
Sent to Ireland, Bernstein won the 1999 Anheuser Busch Railway Stakes (Ire-III) and the 2000 Coolmore Stud Home of Champions Concorde Stakes (Ire-III) for Coolmore associate Michael Tabor. Following a European campaign, Bernstein was returned to North America, where he finished fifth in the River City Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs in what proved his last race. He was retired with four wins from eight starts and earnings of $173,120.
Bernstein, whose third dam, Finance, is a half sister to Horse of the Year Buckpasser, is a full brother to graded winners Caress and Country Cat and a half brother to Della Francesca.