Broad Brush, pensioned at Gainesway Farm.
Broad Brush, North America's leading sire of 1994 who helped preserve the Domino sire line, has been retired from stallion duty at Gainesway Farm near Lexington because of declining fertility. Broad Brush, who has sired 86 stakes winners and the earners of $59 million, was taken out of stallion service this spring after covering 26 mares. He had undergone arthrodesis surgery due to degenerative arthritis the previous October."Broad Brush has been an excellent stallion who has left an indelible mark on the stud book," said Gainesway president Antony Beck about the 21-year-old son of Ack Ack who raced as a homebred for Robert Meyerhoff.Broad Brush, whose stud fee reached $100,000, was the leading sire by progeny earnings the year his son Concern won the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I). His other top runners during his years at stud include millionaire Farda Amiga, champion 3-year-old filly of 2002, plus other grade I winners Include, Pompeii, Mongoose, and Schossberg.Broad Brush, who was produced from the Hoist the Flag mare Hay Patcher, won or placed in 22 stakes from 27 career starts and earned $2,656,793. He won the 1987 Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) after a rousing battle with Ferdinand, and also scored grade I wins in the Wood Memorial Invitational Stakes, Suburban Handicap, and Meadowlands Cup. He ran third in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) in Meyerhoff's home state and also was third in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I)."Broad Brush was a once-in-a-lifetime racehorse and sire," Meyerhoff said. "Gainesway deserves credit for its superb management of his stallion career."Broad Brush was scheduled to stand in 2005 for a private fee.
