Agnes Tachyon, the world’s leading stallion by progeny earnings last year, died June 22 of apparent heart failure, according to The Japan Times. The 11-year-old Japanese-bred son of North American Horse of the Year Sunday Silence stood at Teruya Yoshida’s Shadai Stallion Station on the island of Hokkaido.
Agnes Tachyon, whose runners earned $32.9 million last year, is represented by 18 career stakes winners, including Japanese champions Daiwa Scarlet, Deep Sky, and Little Amapola.
As a racehorse, Agnes Tachyon won all four starts, including the Satsuki Sho (Jpn-I, the Japanese Two Thousand Guineas) and two other group events. He earned $1,845,085.
Sunday Silence, who was sent to Japan for stallion duty and led the sires list numerous times, isn’t the only North American-bred runner in Agnes Tachyon’s pedigree. Agnes Tachyon’s broodmare sire, Royal Ski, raced in the United States and was one of the best juveniles from his crop. His five stakes wins at age 2 included scores in the Laurel Futurity (gr. I) and the Remsen Stakes (gr. II).
Agnes Tachyon’s dam, Agnes Flora, and second dam, Agnes Lady, were Japanese champions.