El Gran Senor Euthanized

Central Kentucky stallion El Gran Senor was euthanized Oct. 18 at Ashford Stud due to the infirmities of old age. He was 25.

A champion and classic winner in Europe, El Gran Senor sired 55 lifetime stakes winners, including five champions. He was pensioned from stallion duty at Ashford Stud, a satellite of John Magnier and partners' Coolmore Stud, in July 2000 at age 19.

"It's a sad day as El Gran Senor has been with us here since the very beginning," said Dermot Ryan, Ashford manager in a farm release.

A brother to champion Try My Best, El Gran Senor was bred in a partnership that included E.P. Taylor, Magnier, Robert Sangster, and trainer Vincent O'Brien and was campaigned in Sangster's name on behalf of a partnership.

El Gran Senor won seven of eight races, earned $520,969, and was champion at ages two and three in England and Ireland. His big wins came in the 1984 English Two Thousand Guineas and the Joe McGrath Irish Sweeps Derby (Ire-I). His lone defeat came by a head in the Epsom Derby (Eng-I) after a battle with Secreto. He retired from racing during the fall of his 3-year-old season.

El Gran Senor (Northern Dancer-Sex Appeal, by Buckpasser) stood his first season at his E.P. Taylor's Windfields Farm in Maryland in 1985, then was moved the following breeding season to Ashford.

Among the stakes winners sired by El Gran Senor include: champion and sire Lit de Justice, grade I winner and producer Toussaud, Irish champion and sire Helmsman, grade II winner Candid Glen, grade I winner Senor Tomas, grade II winner Dr. Kashnikow, grade I winner Spanish Fern, grade II winner and sire El Angelo, and stakes winner El Gran Papa.