War, who won the 1987 Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) following the disqualification of Alysheba, was euthanized in August at Dr. Pamela Barlow's Wandering Farm near Bowie, Texas, because of complications from arthritis. The 23-year-old son of Majestic Light had resided at the farm since early 2006.
"He spent his time in a pasture with some nice, friendly broodmares," said Barlow. "I was hoping he would cover some of the mares so I could have one of his babies. That would have been a great joy. But not one of the mares I've checked has come up pregnant."
The '87 Blue Grass, at that time run nine days before the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), produced a three-horse blanket finish, with a head separating Alysheba from War and another head separating War from Leo Castelli. After catching sight of the path near the tire tracks at the sixteenth pole, Alysheba lurched to his right and interfered with Leo Castelli, thus causing his disqualification.
War, a homebred for Tom Gentry trained by D. Wayne Lukas, had won the Lexington Stakes (gr. III) at Keeneland in his previous start.
All three ran in the Run for the Roses, but this time Alysheba was the one who was interfered with. He stumbled when Bet Twice bore out in the stretch, but recovered and won by three-quarters of a length. War and Leo Castelli finished unplaced.
Later that year, War was sold to Arthur I. Appleton. He raced through age 5 and retired with five wins from 31 starts and earnings of $377,832.
War entered stud at Appleton's Bridlewood Farm near Ocala, Fla., and stood there until he was relocated to Susan O'Hara's Woodswitch Farm near Navasota, Texas, in the late 1990s. His first crop yielded graded stakes winner Gulf Reckoning, but there were no more added-money winners after him, just seven stakes-placed runners. War sired 160 offspring and is represented by the earners of more than $5 million.
War's dam, Victorian Queen, was champion older female and grass runner in Canada in 1975. The daughter of Victoria Park also produced grade I winners Judge Angelucci (by Honest Pleasure) and Peace (by Naskra).