Rockhill Native dead at 32

ROCKHILL NATIVE (Our Native), the oldest surviving champion juvenile and one

of the longest living Eclipse Award winners on record, died Thursday morning at

Sycamore Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, according to a report in the

Blood-Horse. He was 32.

Bred in Kentucky by Dr. E.W. Thomas and Carolaine Farm, Rockhill Native was

owned by Harry Oak, trained by Herb Stevens and ridden throughout his

17-race career by John Oldham. A four-length debut winner at Churchill Downs in

June 1979, Rockhill Native went on to capture the Futurity S. (G1), Sapling S.

(G1), Cowdin S. (G2) and Jefferson Cup S. while placing in both the Champagne S.

(G1) and Tyro S. Rockhill Native was disqualified from a 6 1/2-length victory in

the Hopeful S. (G1) and placed sixth after he was found to have interfered with

a rival.

Rockhill Native became the first gelding ever to be named champion

two-year-old male since polls were first published in 1936. Declan's Moon, in

2004, is the only other gelding to have won the title.

After mixed success in the winter of 1980 at Hialeah, where he won the

Everglades S. and placed third in the Flamingo S. (G1) and Bahamas S., Rockhill

Native easily captured the Blue Grass S. (G1) at Keeneland by two lengths, a

victory good enough to make him the 2-1 favorite in that year's Kentucky Derby

(G1). After leading the 1 1/4-mile classic early, Rockhill Native faded to

fifth, six lengths behind the victorious filly Genuine Risk. In what would be

his final start, Rockhill Native took a brief lead before tiring to third behind

eventual champion colt Temperence Hill and Genuine Risk in the Belmont S. (G1).

He was retired after suffering a bowed tendon during the race.

Rockhill Native's racing career ended with a mark of 17-10-2-3, $465,385.