Populi, Dam of Champion Vanlandingham, Dead

Populi, dam of champion Vanlandingham, was euthanized Sept. 25 because of the infirmities of old age. The 31-year-old daughter of Star Envoy out of the Etonian mare Sister Shannon had been pensioned at Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms near Lexington.

Bred in Kentucky by Dr. Albert F. Polk Jr., Populi was bought for $38,000 at the 1976 Keeneland September yearling sale by John Ed Anthony's Loblolly Stable. She won just two of 12 starts for Loblolly before becoming a broodmare in 1979. She clicked right away in her new profession, with her first three foals becoming stakes winners.

But even before that, Populi's value had increased dramatically. In 1980, Populi's 3-year-old half-brother, Temperence Hill, was winning such added-money races as the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) over John Henry and the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) for Loblolly. He was an easy choice for champion 3-year-old male.

Vanlandingham, Populi's second foal, won the 1985 Jockey Club Gold Cup as well as that year's Suburban Handicap (gr. I) and Washington, D.C., International (gr. IT). The Loblolly homebred was voted that year's champion older male.

Populi's third foal, Popular Tune, became a graded stakes producer as well as the granddam of a stakes winner.

Populi sold for $2 million at the 1983 Keeneland November breeding stock sale to James Delahooke, who represented Abdullah. Consigned by Bill McKee Jr., agent, she was in foal to Northern Dancer.

As a Juddmonte broodmare, Populi never produced a stakes winner, but two of her daughters, Kamkova and Musicanti, became stakes producers. Kamkova produced grade/group II winner Kirkwall, and Musicanti produced English group I winner Distant Music.

Populi produced 14 foals, 10 of which were winners.