Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem dies at Old Friends at age 21
War Emblem, who came up one race short of winning the Triple Crown in 2002, died Wednesday at age 21.
War Emblem, winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, was living at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown since 2015. The cause of death was believed to be a paddock accident, but Old Friends said in a news release that exact details were not known. A necropsy report is pending.
War Emblem was bred by Charles Nuckols Jr. and Sons of Midway and originally raced for Russell Reineman and trainer Frank Springer. Prince Ahmed bin Salman’s Thoroughbred Corp. bought War Emblem during his 3-year-old campaign and transferred him to Bob Baffert’s barn after he won the Illinois Derby. War Emblem went on to win the 128th Kentucky Derby in wire-to-wire fashion. After winning the Preakness, War Emblem stumbled at the start of the Belmont Stakes and finished eighth behind the winner Sarava, who is also retired at Old Friends.
War Emblem went on to win the Haskell Invitational for a third Grade 1 win that year and retired with 13 starts, seven wins, and earnings of $3,491,000.
In the fall of 2002, War Emblem was sold to the Yoshida family for $17 million to stand at their Shadai Stallion Station in Hokkaido, Japan. War Emblem sired less than 200 foals in his career but many of them were talented runners.
When War Emblem retired from stud duty the Yoshida family donated the stallion to Old Friends.
“We’re very grateful to Mr. Yoshida and all of the fans who helped get War Emblem to Old Friends nearly five years ago,” said Old Friends founder and president Michael Blowen. “I know we’re supposed to appreciate all of our retirees the same but he was one of the very special ones.”