Verglas, the sire of 28 stakes winners, died May 17 from an accident at the Irish National Stud. The son of Highest Honor was 17.
“He made it the hard way, and was very popular with the breeders,” the farm’s chief executive John Osborne told the Racing Post.
An Irish-bred Verglas descended from 1966 Kentucky Oaks winner Native Street. A blue hen mare as well as a major winner, Native Street, by Native Dancer, was Verglas’ fourth dam.
Verglas , winner of the Coventry Stakes (Eng-III) at 2 and second in the Lexus Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-I) as a 3-year-old, raced the end of his career in North America. While racing for the Estate of Silvio Garaventa, he ran second in the 1998 San Marino Handicap at Santa Anita. He was trained in North America by Charlie Whittingham.
Verglas, who stood in France before ending up at the Irish National Stud, is best known for siring French champion miler Stormy River, plus Silver Frost, winner of the 2009 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Fr-I, the French Two Thousand Guineas).
Several of Verglas’ runners were North American stakes winners, including graded winners Blackdoun and Ozone Bere. The former won three stakes at Del Mar, including the Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) and the La Jolla Handicap (gr. IIT).
Bred by Godolphin Management Co., Verglas was produced from the Secreto mare Rahaam.