Zuppardo’s Prince, the leading stallion in Louisiana for a record 10 times, was euthanized due the infirmities of old age Aug. 24 at Clear Creek Stud in Folsom, La., where he stood his entire stud career.
Zuppardo’s Prince, by Cornish Prince out of Prim Lady, by Primate, helped make Clear Creek Stud one of the leading stud farms in Louisiana. In a stallion career that spanned 21 years, he sired 579 foals, of which 496 made it to the races. He sired 34 stakes winners and six Louisiana champions from 379 winners of 1,632 races with lifetime earnings of $16,283,849.
Champions sired by Zuppardo’s Prince included graded-stakes winners Zuppardo Ardo ($667,886) who won the Humana Distaff (gr. II) at Churchill Downs and nine other stakes, and Astas Foxy Lady ($335,032), who won the Adirondack Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga.
In 2006, Zuppardo’s Prince was represented by his most recent stakes winner and champion, Grande Facile, who was voted champion Louisiana-bred 3-year-old filly. His other state-bred champions include She’s A Little Shy ($423,832), Early Goer ($231,694), and Je’Pardo ($130,992).
Zuppardo’s Prince was purchased by Anthony Zuppardo as a yearling at the Keeneland September yearling sale in 1977. After a racing career in which he won 12 of 28 starts, including the Phoenix Handicap at Keeneland two years in a row, he was syndicated by Jack Lohman to stand at Clear Creek Stud.
Zuppardo chose to only sell half of the shares and retained ownership of half of Zuppardo’s Prince throughout his stud career. Zuppardo died in April of this year.