THE death of Empire Maker from a rare disease that affected his immune system is a great disappointment for Gainesway Farm where he was due to stand this season for $85,000. This price put him among the top tier of stallions in the USA, though the journey to the top was not straightforward.

He spent a number of years in Japan, but his success with his US runners meant that he was repatriated and picked up where he left off, his first crop back in the States, born in 2017, containing Eight Rings. He won the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita last September. That race is named in honour of Empire Maker’s Triple Crown winning grandson.

That victory brought to a dozen the number of Grade 1 winners sired by the son of Unbridled (Fappiano) and the blue hen broodmare and top-class racemare Toussaud (El Gran Senor). Bred and raced by Khalid Abdullah and trained by Bobby Frankel, Empire Maker was the only colt of his generation to win three Grade 1s in his sophomore year. He was runner-up to Funny Cide in the 2003 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. Winner of half of his eight starts and never out of the first three, Empire Maker won the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, Grade 1 Florida Derby and Grade 1 Wood Memorial. His career earnings were just short of $2 million.

A son of the champion three-year-old Unbridled, winner of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, Empire Maker is one of four Grade 1 winners from Toussaud who went from being a Group 3 winner at Newmarket to become a Grade 1 winner of the Gamely Handicap at Hollywood Park at four. Her first foal followed a similar path, Chester House (Mr Prospector) winning the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes before landing the Grade 1 Arlington Million.

Toussaud’s second foal was the filly Honest Lady (Seattle Slew) and the best of her six victories came in the Santa Monica Handicap. She has been a hugely successful broodmare, half of her eight winners gaining blacktype success. Best of that quartet is First Defence (Unbridled’s Song), sire of last year’s top Irish juvenile, Siskin, and he won the Grade 1 Forego Handicap in his racing days.

The 2002 Grade 1 Chiselling (Woodman) was the third top-rank winner from Toussaud, followed a year later by Empire Maker. Toussaud’s fifth stakes winner was Grade 2 winner Decarchy (Distant View) and he was runner-up in the Grade 1 Eddie Read Handicap.

Empire Maker went to stud in 2004 at Juddmonte Farms in Lexington, Kentucky. Having completed his seventh season at stud in the USA he was sold to Japan and started covering there in 2011. He was eventually repatriated from the Shizunai Stallion Station by Gainesway and Don Alberto.

His very first crop included no fewer than four Grade 1 winners, Mushka, Acoma, Country Star and Icon Project, all of them fillies. His first top-class colt was in his second crop, the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby winner and leading sire Pioneerof The Nile, while his third crop had no Grade 1 winner.

Another top-class filly emerged in the crop of 2008, the champion three-year-old Royal Delta who went on to be twice champion older female and be inducted into the US Hall of Fame.

The sale of Empire Maker came before the strength of the 2009 crop became evident, as it contained three Grade 1 winners, most notably the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby winner and Grade 1 Kentucky Derby runner-up Bodemeister. At stud his first crop included Always Dreaming, the 2017 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner.

In Japan Empire Maker failed to make an impact as a stallion, and though he sired stakes winners, none were anywhere as good as his American crops. It is also notable that all of his Grade 1 winners gained their successes in the USA.

His popularity was again soaring after his return to America and his best priced yearling of 2019 was at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale when a filly sold for $2 million. His daughters have produced more than 40 stakes-winning offspring.

Following the news of his death connections of the 20-year-old stallion paid tribute to a horse whose influence will be felt for years to come. “The passing of Empire Maker will leave a tremendous void not only in the breeding industry as we know it, but in the hearts of all of us who worked with him, every day,” said Gainesway’s Antony Beck.

“It’s a huge honour and privilege to stand Empire Maker at Gainesway with our partners Don Alberto. He was the epitome of class and quality. I’ve never been involved with a stallion that possessed a better disposition.

“His impact on the breed has been significant, particularly producing very sound stock. He’ll be missed by all of us at Gainesway.”

Carlos Heller, the owner of Don Alberto, also paid tribute, and said: “He was such a special horse to our family in so many ways and was our first major stallion interest since the establishment of Don Alberto Farm in the US.”

He added: “We can say that he was aptly named and indeed made an empire that keeps growing every day through his progeny. We were fortunate to have been involved in a small part of his life. An incredibly intelligent and kind horse who’ll be sorely missed by everyone. We hope that his last few crops here in the US will make his name shine even brighter in years to come.”

EMPIRE MAKER (USA), won 4 races in U.S.A, at 2 and 3 years and $1,985,800 including Belmont Stakes, Belmont Park, Gr.1, Florida Derby, Gulfstream Park, Gr.1and Wood Memorial Stakes, Aqueduct, Gr.1, placed 4 times viz. second in Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, Gr.1, Jim Dandy Stakes, Saratoga, Gr.2 and Sham Stakes, Santa Anita, L., and third in Remsen Stakes, Aqueduct, Gr.2.

Sire of more than 700 winners of in excess of $110,000,000 including Grade 1 winners Royal Delta (Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic twice, Alabama Stakes, Delaware Handicap, Personal Ensign Stakes and Beldame Invitational Stakes; champion in 2011, 2012 and 2013), Pioneerof The Nile (Cashcall Futurity and Santa Anita Derby), Grace Hall (Spinaway Stakes), Emollient (Ashland Stakes, Spinster Stakes, American Oaks and Rodeo Drive Stakes), Bodemeister (Arkansas Derby), Mushka(Spinster Stakes), Acoma (Spinster Stakes), In Lingerie (Spinster Stakes), Country Star (Alcibiades Stakes and Hollywood Starlet Stakes), Icon Project (Personal Ensign Stakes), Last Full Measure (Madison Stakes) and Eight Rings (American Pharoah Stakes).