Multiple grade 1 winner and accomplished Japanese sire Roses in May died at Big Red Farm on the island of Hokkaido March 4 when the 25-year-old son of Devil His Due could no longer stand, the farm announced March 5.
The notice from Big Red Farm said the stallion was not moving well near the end of last year and an examination revealed muscle atrophy in his lower back. The farm decided last month that he would be pensioned from stud duty.
"Roses in May has produced many successful horses and has also produced classic winners as a broodmare sire. We thought he would live much longer, so we are very disappointed," said the farm's announcement. "We wish him a peaceful rest. We would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported him."
Margaux Farm bred Roses in May in Kentucky out of the stakes-placed winner Tell a Secret (Speak John), who is also the dam of stakes winner and graded stakes producer Lismore Lass. Ken and Sarah Ramsey bought the colt for $115,000 at the 2002 Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale and sent him to trainer Dale Romans.
Roses in May became a winner in his second start at 3 but saved his best running for later. At 4, he would lose only once out of six starts in 2004 when he won his first graded race in the Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Breeders' Cup Handicap (G3) and followed with a win in the Whitney Handicap (G1). He became the first grade 1-winning colt campaigned by the Ramseys in their name only. Roses in May ended the year with a second in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) to Ghostzapper, who set a Lone Star Park record of 1:59.02 for 1 1/4 miles.
The Ramseys, who were also racing their homebred multiple grade 1 winner Kitten's Joy in 2004, would be honored with an Eclipse Award as outstanding owner for the year.
Bigger and better lay ahead for Roses in May. At 5, he started the season with a second in the Donn Handicap (G1) and then delivered his biggest win yet on the brightest of international stages when he captured the $6 million Dubai World Cup (G1) at Nad Al Sheba. He became the fifth American-based horse to win the race.
"This is the biggest moment I've had in racing so far, absolutely," Ken Ramsey said after the win. "Right now, I feel like I'm king of the mountain."
The World Cup would be Roses in May's last race when a torn tendon forced his retirement in August 2005. He was retired with an 8-4-0 record from 13 starts and earned $5,490,187.
The Ramseys would sell a reported 80% of his breeding rights to Big Red Farm.
"Roses in May was definitely one of the best horses I've ever had and my wife loved him dearly," Ramsey told BloodHorse March 5. "We had a debate about whether we were going to sell him or Kitten's Joy. The Japanese breeders wanted both of them. Even though Roses in May was one of best-looking horses we've ever had, I felt Kitten's Joy had the better pedigree and pointed out to her that we had named Kitten's Joy after her, and so we finally agreed to sell Roses in May. We took the money we got from him and bought broodmares to breed to Kitten's Joy. So he was the one who enabled us to get started with Kitten's Joy."
As a stallion, Roses in May sired 98% starters from foals of racing age, who went on to capture 631 wins. His top performers included 10 black-type winners led by multiple graded stakes winner Dream Valentino and graded winners Cosmo Ozora and Rose Princedom. His progeny earned more than $113.5 million and averaged $133,094 per starter.
As a broodmare sire, Roses in May has been represented by seven black-type winners so far that include four graded stakes winners. His winning daughter Meine Theresia is the dam of 2021 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks, G1) winner Uberleben. The mare also has produced grade 3 winner Meiner Fanrong and graded-placed Meiner Emperor.
