Champion Estrapade Dies at Age 25

Estrapade, winner of an Eclipse Award as champion female turf horse, died from an apparent heart attack at John Sikura's Hill 'n' Dale Farm near Lexington, Ky. Friday. She was 25.

When she died, Estrapade, who suffered from Cushings Disease, was preparing to move to Midway to live on a retirement farm operated by Old Friends, said Michael Blowen, founder of the Thoroughbred retirement organization.

"She was scheduled to be brought over to us today," Blowen said. "We were all hoping that she would have had another couple of years to run around and enjoy herself."

Estrapade is the only female to have won the Arlington Million (gr. IT), having done so at age six during her championship campaign of 1986. She also won the grade I Yellow Ribbon Invitational Handicap in 1985 and the grade I Oak Tree Invitational Stakes the following year.

Estrapade, a daughter of Vaguely Noble, out of Klepto, won 12 of 30 races and earned $1,937,142.

As a broodmare, Estrapde is represented by six named foals, including the gelding Rice (by Blushing John) who won the 1998 Meadowlands Endurance Stakes and finished second in the Red Smith Handicap (gr. II)

Blowen said that Estrapade's owner, Michael Paulson, had agreed to allow Estrapade to be buried at Hurstland Farm in Midway, where Old Friends' operations are based.

"We plan to do it up right for her with a headstone and a plaque outlining all of her accomplishments," Blowen said. "I'm just sorry that we couldn't give her the same type of life our other retired horses are enjoying."

Blowen said a public memorial could be scheduled for Estrapade within the next two weeks.