Al Mufti, a Kentucky-bred son of Roberto, died March 3 at age 26 in his paddock at Ascot Stud in South Africa, according to the South African racing publication The Sporting Post. The son of Roberto had been retired from commercial breeding duties since 2007.
Al Mufti is from the same 1985 crop as Dynaformer and Brian's Time, two other major sons of Roberto. Dynaformer, who has sired 120 stakes winners, stands at Robert N. Clay’s Three Chimneys Farm near Versailles, Ky. Sire of 56 stakes winners, Brian’s Time, at last report, stood at Arrow Stud in Japan.
Al Mufti was bred in Kentucky by William S. Farish and W.S. Kilroy and was sold for $1.2 million to Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Estate at the 1986 Keeneland July yearling sale.
Sent to England to race, Al Mufti was group stakes-placed in England and in Germany. In 1989, he was returned to North America to race, but started only once and finished unplaced. He closed out his career in South Africa, where he ran third in the Rothmans July Handicap (SAf-I).
Al Mufti was a highly successful stallion, siring 41 stakes winners, 32 of which were group winners. Five of them were South African champions and another, Victory Moon, was a Dubai topweight who ran second in the 2004 Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-I).
Al Mufti, out of the stakes-winning Buckpasser mare Lassie Dear, was a half brother to graded stakes winner Weekend Surprise, dam of two-time leading sire A.P. Indy and successful sire Summer Squall.