Grade I winner Offlee Wild has died of a heart attack Sept. 6 at the farm of his owner Tevfik Celikoglu in Turkey, according to the Turkish Jockey Club.
The 16-year-old sire of 2009 champion 2-year-old filly She Be Wild and multiple grade I winner Bayern died while being taken from his stall to his paddock around 8:30 p.m. local time. The cause of death was confirmed by veterinarians.
Offlee Wild was bred in Kentucky by Dorothy Matz and had been sold at the 2001 Keeneland September yearling sale through Middlebrook Farm's consignment for $325,000 to Azalea Stables. At 3 he won the Holy Bull Stakes and finished third in the 2003 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) and continued improving with age. At 4 he won the grade II Massachusetts Handicap, and at 5 captured the Suburban Handicap (gr. I) and Excelsior Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. III). The son of Wild Again is the second graded stakes winner produced by Alvear (by Seattle Slew), a half sister to top sire Dynaformer.
Quick out of the gate at stud, Offlee Wild was the leading freshman sire of 2009 powered by the brilliant performances of She Be Wild, who won three stakes including the grade I Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I). The filly ended the year with $1,311,040 in earnings. Offlee Wild stood his first four seasons at Darley.
Offlee Wild's next big runner would not appear until 2014 when Bayern broke his maiden in his first start in early January at Santa Anita Park and two races later finished third in the Arkansas Derby (gr. I). Bred by Helen Alexander, Bayern would win four graded stakes, including the 2014 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) and the William Hill Haskell Invitational Stakes. He also won the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) and the Woody Stephens Stakes (gr. II). He entered stud this year at Hill 'n' Dale Farms near Lexington.
Out of 441 foals of racing age, Offlee Wild has sired 18 black-type stakes winners and 16 black-type-placed runners worldwide through Sept. 6. His stakes winners include six graded/group stakes winners. Offlee Wild was relocated to Turkey for the 2015 breeding season and is represented by 19 Turkish-bred foals this year.