Texas stallion My Golden Song died Aug. 6 of natural causes at Valor Farm in Pilot Point, Texas. The son of Unbridled's Song was 19.
A model of consistency as a stallion, My Golden Song was Texas' leading freshman sire in 2011 and perennially ranked among the top five sires in the state for the following decade. He sired two Texas-bred graded stakes winners: Thegirlinthatsong and Fiftyshadesofgold.
"I called him 'Big Gray,'" said Valor Farm general manager Donny Denton. "He was a very imposing individual from the first day he stepped off the van here at the farm. He was extremely well-balanced, big and strong. That carried over into his offspring. It was truly a pleasure to be with him through his career. He will be missed by everyone here at Valor Farm."
Thegirlinthatsong earned $480,195 during a career highlighted by a victory in the grade 2 La Canada Stakes and a third-place finish in the grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes, both at Santa Anita. She also earned a stakes win in her home state at Lone Star Park.
Fiftyshadesofgold earned $420,531 in nine starts with wins in the Debutante Stakes and grade 3 Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs. She also had a stakes win in Texas at Sam Houston Race Park, and she finished fourth—beaten just over a length—in the grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Texas-bred Fiftyshadesofgold was the 2014 Texas Horse of the Year was out of the Texas-bred mare Hadif Cat, who was a daughter of longtime leading Texas stallion and former Valor Farm resident Hadif.
Through Aug. 8, My Golden Song was on the verge of surpassing $9 million in total progeny earnings. He is represented by 16 stakes winners and 32 stakes horses.
Undefeated in two starts as a 2-year-old, My Golden Song placed in two stakes as a 3-year-old, including a third-place finish behind eventual Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Barbaro in the grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, My Golden Song was owned and bred by Centaur Farms. He produced 12 crops of foals with 233 total foals, including 13 current 2-year-olds.
My Golden Song sired 16 black-type winners. His starters averaged $54,795 per start. His top lifetime 2-year-old is Cowgirls Like Us with $151,185. She tallied six lifetime black-type wins in her career. Izatiz leads his current crop of 2-year-old with $36,260 from a first and a second this year. Gold Pilot, a gelding, is tops among his progeny in earnings this year with $92,844. Of his two wins this year, the most notable is the Star of Texas Stakes.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
