Kingmambo has probably reached the end of his stallion career, according to Will Farish, who owns Lane’s End Farm, the Central Kentucky nursery where the 20-year-old son of Mr. Prospector stands.
“He has had a terrible neck problem for some time,” said Farish, who was interviewed Sept. 10 at Keeneland, two days before the start of the September yearling sale. “We only bred one mare to him this year, and she didn’t get in foal. It’s not his fertility; it’s his ability to perform. We’ve tried everything in the world, as you can imagine.”
Kingmambo captured the Dubai Poule d’Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, Fr-I), the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Fr-I), and St. James’s Palace Stakes (Eng-I) in 1993. He is the sire of 86 stakes winners (as of Sept. 11), and his champions here and abroad include 1999 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Lemon Drop Kid (who stands at Lane's End), King Kamehameha, El Condor Pasa, Divine Proportions, Russian Rhythm, and Henrythenavigator.
“He’s one of the great stallions of all time,” said Farish of Kingmambo. “What I liked about him originally was that he was a great miler in Europe. He has a phenomenal pedigree and he has lived up to it in every respect. He’s sired classic horses, sprinters, and milers.”
According to The Jockey Club, Kingmambo has only one foal in his 2010 crop, a colt out of Queen of Money.
