Storm Bird dies at 26

Multiple European champion

STORM BIRD

(Northern Dancer), who established an

outstanding legacy at stud as the sire of Storm Cat and many other notables, has

died. He was 26.

Storm Bird was purchased for $1 million as a Keeneland July yearling and

campaigned in Europe. A Group 1 winner and unbeaten from five juvenile starts,

he was named champion two-year-old in both England and Ireland in 1980. Storm

Bird, who was reportedly attacked by a stablehand before his sophomore season, raced

only once at three and was retired with a 6-5-0-0 mark and earnings of $168,891.

He entered stud in 1982 in Kentucky at Ashford, which was then owned by William

Lockridge and Robert Hefner. John Magnier and partners took over the management

of Storm Bird when acquiring Ashford in 1984.

His first crop included Grade 1 winner Storm Cat, who finished

second in the 1985 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) for William T. Young and was

retired to Overbrook Farm following his three-year-old season. Storm Cat has

been perhaps the world's most prolific sire in the last 15 years, earning North

American leading sire honors multiple times, and is the most expensive at

$500,000 per season. He's produced 129 stakes winners, including 30 different

Grade 1 winners, and six champions.

Storm Bird is also the sire of classic winner Summer Squall, who earned more

than $1.8 million and is the sire of dual classic winner Charismatic; multiple

European champion Indian Skimmer, who captured five Group 1 events and finished

a close third against males in the 1988 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1); multiple

European classic winner Balachine, who defeated her male rivals when capturing

the 1994 Irish Derby (Ire-G1); Irish champion Bluebird; Grade 1 heroine Classy

Mirage; French highweight Mukaddamah; Irish champion miler Prince of Birds;

Santa Anita Derby (G1) victor Personal Hope; Grade 1 queen Pacific Squall; and

French Group 1 winner Magical Wonder.

Storm Bird will be remembered as both a tremendous sire and sire of sires.