TOUSSAUD (El Gran Senor), the 2002 Broodmare of the Year, was euthanized on
Tuesday at age 20 due to declining health, according to Khalid Abdullah’s
Juddmonte Farms, which bred and owned the mare.
Winner of the 1993 Gamely H. (G1), American H. (G2) and Wilshire H. (G2),
Toussaud was one of only four North American-based mares to produce four Grade 1
winners, doing so with different sires. She hit the mark with her first two
registered foals — Chester House (Mr. Prospector), who captured the 2000
Arlington Million (G1), and Honest Lady (Seattle Slew), queen of the 2000 Santa
Monica H. (G1). Her third foal, Decarchy (Distant View), won the 2002 editions
of the Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G2) and Tanforan H. (G3), but could only earn a
second in the 2003 Eddie Read H. (G1).
Toussaud got back on the Grade 1 track when foaling Chiselling (Woodman) and
Empire Maker (Unbridled), with the former colt posting a victory in the 2002
Secretariat S. (G1). Empire Maker did much more than that, earning a classic win
for his dam when taking the 2003 Belmont S. (G1) after running second in the
Kentucky Derby (G1). The dark bay also captured the Florida Derby (G1) by 9 3/4
lengths and won the Wood Memorial S. (G1) before concluding his racing career
with a neck second in the Jim Dandy S. (G2).
Toussaud’s offspring have gone on to make a name for themselves in the
breeding shed. Honest Lady, who ended her career with a half-length second
against the boys in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), is responsible for last
year’s Forego H. (G1) hero and 2007 King’s Bishop S. (G1) second First
Defence (Unbridled’s Song).
Chester House sired a number of major runners before his death in 2003 at age
8 due to cancer. Among them are last year’s Breeders’ Cup
Filly & Mare Sprint and Just a Game S. (G1) winner Ventura, who is a finalist for champion
female sprinter honors; 2008 Metropolitan H. (G1) hero Divine Park; Muhannak
(Ire), victor of the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Marathon in October; multiple Grade
2 king Spring House; and English Group 3 winner Phoenix Tower, who ran second in
the Lockinge S. (Eng-G1), Prince of Wales’s S. (Eng-G1), Eclipse S. (Eng-G1) and
International S. (Eng-G1) last year.
Empire Maker has also done his dam proud, siring such winners as 2007
Alcibiades S. (G1) and Hollywood Starlet S. queen Country Star, Mrs. Revere S.
(G2) victress Acoma and 2007 Demoiselle S. (G2) heroine Mushka. His most
prominent offspring, though, is Pioneerof the Nile, who won the CashCall
Futurity (G1) on December 20 and is considered a Triple Crown contender.
“She was obviously a great broodmare but was an even more special character
with a very unique personality,” a statement released by Juddmonte Farm said in
describing Toussaud. “Though amazingly stubborn at times, she was never seen to
pin her ears or try to intentionally harm anyone or anything. She had a very
kind yet powerfully strong and resilient nature that lives on in the competitive
juices of offspring of Chester House, Empire Maker, Decarchy, and her daughter
Honest Lady.”
“She was a great filly, both as a broodmare and a race horse,” trainer Bobby
Frankel said. “She rates up there with the top, the very best fillies I ever
had.
“She was very difficult to train,” Frankel recounted. “She had a mind of her
own. She wanted to do it her way. She would go the wrong way (on the track to
train). When she worked, you’d have to work her out of the gate because she
wouldn’t do it otherwise. It was very sad (to learn about her death). She was
one of the greats of all time.”
Toussaud is a daughter Grade 2 winner Image of Reality (In Reality) and
counts Grade 3 heroine Navarra (El Gran Senor) as a full sibling. She was
pensioned from the breeding shed at age 18 after developing laminitis. Her last
foal is the unraced three-year-old filly Gateway (A.P. Indy).
Toussaud will be buried in the equine graveyard at Juddmonte’s Kentucky farm
in Lexington.