City Zip, a Grade 1-winning sprinter by trade who became a sire of prominence at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky, has been euthanized at the age of 19 due to chronic foot problems.
“City Zip has had many significant achievements at stud and it has been a privilege to stand him at Lane’s End,” said farm owner Will Farish in a release. “We are very grateful to the members of his stallion syndicate and our breeders for supporting this special horse throughout his career. City Zip’s extraordinarily kind disposition and strong spirit endeared him to all, and he will be greatly missed. We want to thank Dr. Scott Morrison of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital for the diligent and compassionate care that he and his associates provided to City Zip.”
Bred in Kentucky by Adena Springs, City Zip was a Carson City half-brother to 2004 Horse of the Year and Hall of Fame inductee Ghostzapper, as well as Grade 3 winner City Wolf. All were reared by the Relaunch mare Baby Zip, who won Broodmare of the Year honors in 2005.
City Zip went through the auction ring twice, bringing $9,000 as a Keeneland January yearling, but going unsold after an $80,000 bid at the 2000 OBS February juvenile sale.
As a two-year-old that year, City Zip won the Hopeful (G1) in a dead heat, Saratoga Special (G2), Sanford (G2) and Tremont (G3) and placed in three other stakes. Among those was the Futurity (G1), where he was disqualified from first and placed second.
At three, City Zip won four stakes, including the Amsterdam (G2) and Jersey Shore (G3), in 12 outings. Owned by the partnership of Charles Thompson, Carl Bowling, Becky Thomas, and Lewis Lakin, City Zip was trained by Linda Rice and retired with a mark of 23-9-5-4, $818,225.
In a release, Lane’s End reported City Zip’s worldwide progeny earnings at more than $78 million, with 78 stakes winners and 26 graded stakes winners. Among the stallion’s champions and Breeders’ Cup winners were Dayatthespa, the leading turf mare of 2014; Catch a Glimpse, 2015 Canadian Horse of the Year; Work All Week, the champion male sprinter of 2014; and the reigning champion female sprinter Finest City.
His other Grade 1 winners include Palace, Bustin Stones, and Personal Diary. As a broodmare sire, City Zip has been represented by Grade 1 winner Noted and Quoted.
City Zip was to be buried in the stallion cemetery at Lane’s End, where he stood since 2005.
