Multiple graded stakes winner Sun King (Charismatic–Clever But Costly, by Clever Trick), a retiree at Old Friends since 2017, was euthanized Saturday at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital due to inoperable cancer, the Georgetown retirement facility reported Sunday. He was 21.
Campaigned by Tracy Farmer and trained by Nick Zito, Sun King won the GII Pennsylvania Derby, GIII Tampa Bay Derby and GIII Leonard Richards S. in 2005 and added the GII Commonwealth Breeders' Cup S. in 2006.
He hit the board in eight Grade I events, including third-place finishes in the 2004 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Champagne S. and runner-up efforts in the 2005 GI Haskell S., 2006 GI Whitney S. and GI Metropolitan H., as well as the 2007 GI Woodward S.
On the board in 18 of 28 starts, Sun King won six races and earned $2,240,008.
Sun King began his stud career at Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky in 2008, and moved to Elite Thoroughbreds in Louisiana in 2013. He was pensioned in 2016 due to declining fertility and, in 2017, Farmer donated Sun King to Old Friends. He arrived at the farm on Feb. 25, 2017.
“Sun King was one of our best retirees,” said Michael Blowen, President and founder of Old Friends. “A great son of Charismatic, he attracted many fans, including Nick and Kim Zito who came by often to see him. All of our retirees are missed when they die, but no one will be missed more than the King.”
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