Stockwell Thoroughbreds announce the death of the Grade 1 winner who was 32
Stockwell Thoroughbreds has announced that Arazi (Blushing Groom) has died. He was 32.
Bred by Ralph Wilson Jr and bought as a weanling for US$350,000 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale by Allen Paulson, Arazi was sent into training in France with Francois Boutin.
He was unbeaten in seven starts as a juvenile in 1991, four of those victories coming at Group / Grade One level, culminating in an easy five length win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Gr 1, 8.5f) - the biggest winning margin in the race.
He ran six times at three, adding two further Group successes to his resume but he disappointed in the Kentucky Derby (Gr 1, 9f), having started favourite, only managing an eighth place finish. After finishing unplaced in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (Gr 1, 8f) in October 1992, Arazi was retired to Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket in 1992. He stood in Kentucky and Japan and then stood his first season in Australia in 2003 at Independent Stallion Station in Victoria and was retired from covering duties in 2011.
As a sire his most successful son was Congaree while he also made his mark as a broodmare sire with 2010 Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Americain (Dynaformer) being out of one of his daughters.
“It has been an honour never lost on us to have been guardians to such a beloved horse,” said Stockwell’s Mike Becker.
“He had major bowel surgery as a four year old and has lived with a major heart murmur for the past 16 years, but in the end it was his body that gave out, not his big heart. He will be very missed around here.”
