Prominent owner-breeder Edward P. Evans, represented in recent seasons by the
multiple Grade 1 winner Quality Road and a host of other top-level performers,
died Friday at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York at the age of 68. Evans,
a member of the Jockey Club and the son of the late Thomas Mellon Evans, of Buckland Farm fame, operated Spring
Hill Farm in Casanova, Virginia.
The former chairman of Macmillan Publishing, Evans bred more than 100 stakes
winners over the past four decades including 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam.
Homebreds he raced under his own colors included Irish champion filly Minstrella
and Grade 1 winners Gygistar, Raging Fever, Summer Colony, Cat Moves and Malibu
Prayer.
Arguably the best horse to race in Evans’ yellow and black colors was Quality
Road, the recently retired earner of more than $2.2 million. Among the leading
performers of his crop at ages three and four, Quality Road captured the Florida
Derby (G1), Fountain of Youth S. (G2) and Amsterdam S. (G2) in 2009, and
Woodward S. (G1), Metropolitan H. (G1), Donn H. (G1) and Hal’s Hope S. (G3) in
2010. Quality Road also placed in the Whitney H. (G1), Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1)
and Travers S. (G1), but ended his career on a sour note when trailing a field
of 12 in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) in November.
“He was a terrific owner for us and our stable and he cared greatly about his
horses,” said Todd Pletcher, who trained Quality Road and others for Evans. “He
was a tremendous person for the sport and loved the game, and took great pride
and pleasure in breeding, raising, and racing his horses.”
Quality Road will stand his first season at stud this year at William S.
Farish’s Lane’s End Farm, near Versailles, Kentucky.
In addition to Quality Road and Malibu Prayer, who captured the Ruffian
Invitational H. (G1), Evans was also represented in 2010 by A Little Warm, who captured the Jim Dandy S. (G2) and placed in the Pennsylvania Derby
(G2), Louisiana Derby (G2) and Hutcheson S. (G2).
Shortly before his death, Evans donated $50 million to fund a new facility
for the Yale School of Management at his alma mater, where he graduated in 1964.
Funeral services for Evans will be private.