Winner of the 1996 Kentucky Derby, Grindstone has passed away at his retirement home at Oakhurst Equine Veterinary Services and Thoroughbred Farm in Newberg, Oregon. The son of Unbridled was 29 years old.
“Thank you for providing us with a thrill of a lifetime,” the Oakhurst's Facebook page said with the announcement. “You changed our lives when you joined us and will always be missed.”
Trained by D. Wayne Lukas for owner/breeder Overbrook Farm, Grindstone won the G3 Louisiana Derby and finished second in the G2 Arkansas Derby before his triumph in the Run for the Roses. The Kentucky Derby was his final start, leaving Grindstone's record at 3-2-0 from six starts for earnings of $1,224,510.
Grindstone launched his breeding career in the heart of Kentucky's famed Bluegrass region at owner-breeder W. T. Young's Overbrook Farm. He was purchased by Oakhurst founders Dr. Jack and Margaret (“Cookie”) Root in 2009.
Grindstone was pensioned in 2019, and lived at Oakhurst alongside his fellow Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo.
Grindstone briefly inherited the mantle of “Oldest Living Kentucky Derby Winner” after the death of Go For Gin at the Kentucky Horse Park earlier this year. Now, the title goes to Silver Charm of Old Friends Retirement Farm at the age of 27.
“We are very, very fortunate and blessed to have two unique and special horses,” Ben Root, Oakhurst operations manager, told the Paulick Report's Liane Crossley in December of 2021. “These stallions give us an opportunity to be ambassadors for Thoroughbred racing. We get calls a few times a month from people wanting to see them and we welcome them.”
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