Thunder Gulch dies at 26

Champion Thunder Gulch, the winner of the 1995 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes and leading North American sire of 2001, has been euthanized due to the infirmities of old age, Coolmore Stud announced on Monday. He was 26.

Peter Brant bred the son of Gulch in Kentucky, and the colt was purchased as a yearling for $40,000 at the 1993 Keeneland July yearling sale by Florida-based Ken Ellenberg. As a 2-year-old, Thunder Gulch was bought by Michael Tabor of the Coolmore partnership for a reported $475,000. He was moved after the race to the barn of trainer D. Wayne Lukas, and finished his 2-year-old season with a win in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes and a second in the Grade 1 Hollywood Futurity.

Thunder Gulch emerged as a force on the Triple Crown season after winning the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes and Grade 1 Florida Derby. However, his momentum was stalled after running a dull fourth in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes.

With the Blue Grass effort fresh in his past performances, Thunder Gulch was sent off at odds of 24-1 in the 1995 Kentucky Derby. He led at the top of the stretch under jockey Gary Stevens and drew off to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

Thunder Gulch followed up with a third in the Preakness Stakes behind Derby favorite Timber Country, but left the gate as the favorite in the Belmont Stakes, where he once again took command coming out of the final turn and won by two lengths.

He finished his 3-year-old season with wins in the Grade 2 Swaps Stakes, Grade 1 Travers Stakes, and listed Kentucky Cup Classic Handicap, before finishing his career with a fifth-place finish behind the great Cigar in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Retired at the end of his 3-year-old season, Thunder Gulch won nine of 16 starts for earnings of $2,915,086.

Thunder Gulch retired to Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., for the 1996 breeding season. He sired 19 crops, with 1,323 winners and combined progeny earnings in excess of $93.6 million.

His most successful runner was Point Given, the 2001 Horse of the Year. Other prominent North American runners for the sire include 2000 Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Spain, and Grade 1 winners Balance, Circular Quay, Tweedside, Sense of Style, and Shotgun Gulch.

Thunder Gulch was an active stallion in the Southern Hemisphere, standing six seasons in Australia, five seasons in Argentina, and two in Chile. He also stood the 1999 Northern Hemisphere season in Japan.