Grade 1 winner Eskendereya, sire of 2019 champion sprinter and 2023 leading first crop stallion Mitole , has died at the age of 17 in Japan. The son of Giant's Causeway reportedly succumbed to heart failure.
The winner of four of six starts on the track for owner Zayat Stables and trainer Todd Pletcher, Eskendereya was a leading contender for the 2010 Kentucky Derby (G1) after scoring dominating wins in that year's Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and Wood Memorial Stakes (G1). He unfortunately would miss the Derby due to a soft tissue injury and was soon retired.
He entered stud duty at Taylor Made Stallions in Nicholasville, Ky., in 2011 and sired four crops before being sold to the Japan Bloodstock Breeders' Association.
Eskendereya stood at the Shichinohe Stallion Station at the time of his death.
As a stallion, Eskendereya is best known as the sire of the brilliant Mitole. The four-time grade 1-winning sprinter bankrolled $3.1 million on the track for William L. & Corinne Heiligbrodt. Retired to Spendthrift Farm, Mitole has gotten off to an excellent start as a stallion, leading all freshman sires with 34 winners and progeny earnings of $2.5 million from his first crop to hit the track.
In addition to Mitole, Eskendereya sired dual grade 1 winner Mor Spirit and graded stakes-winning fillies Isabella Sings and Eskenformoney.
