Linkage, who was out of the stakes winning Cyane mare Unity Hall, sired 10 stakes winners. His runners have earned more than $9.3 million and include grade II winner Bio, grade III winner Orange Sunshine, and I Can Do It All, a champion in the Dominican Republic.
Grade I winner Linkage died of natural causes in early September at Joe Dand's Horizon Farms near High River, Alberta. The 27-year-old son of Hoist the Flag stood at Horizon Farms from 2005-2006 for a private fee.Bred in Kentucky by Jane duPont Lunger, Linkage raced for Christiana Stable. The Henry S. Clark II trainee won the 1982 Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) and made headlines when he skipped the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) to compete in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), where he finished second behind Aloma's Ruler. Linkage retired with 11 wins in 18 starts and earnings of $410,013 in 1983. He entered stud at the Hancock family's Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky. He later moved to Meadowville Farm and Liberty Hall Farm in Virginia before relocating to Canada. He stood at Esquirol Farms in Saskatchewan before moving to Horizon Farms. Pierre Esquirol owned the stallion and is the farm manager at Horizon.
