Few stallions in the world have attained the heights of WinStar Farm’s remarkable More Than Ready. A champion sire in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and a world-renowned stallion who has made an indelible mark on the breed, More Than Ready was euthanized this morning due to the cumulative effects of old age, the farm announced today. He was 25 years old. His passing ends one of the most remarkable stallion careers in history.
“More Than Ready was an amazing horse who touched everyone he came in contact with,” said Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager of WinStar Farm. “He may not have been the biggest horse in the barn, but he more than made up for it in class, balance, and character. His expressions said it all. We will greatly miss him at the farm.”
A breed-shaping stallion, More Than Ready’s accomplishments are otherworldly. One of the youngest stallions in history to attain 100 stakes winners and 1,000 winners, More Than Ready, who was champion juvenile sire in the U.S. in 2010 and the leading sire of 2-year-olds in Australia in 2007-08 and again in 2008-09, enjoyed undeniable, record-breaking success as a stallion.
He has sired graded stakes winners in 12 countries, Grade 1 winners in seven, and has more black type winners than any North American sire in history with 216. Having racked up more than $219 million in worldwide progeny earnings, More Than Ready has sired 100 graded stakes winners, 30 Grade 1 winners, and 13 champions.
More Than Ready is the only sire to have an Eclipse Award champion each year from 2017 to 2020. His Rushing Fall was named champion female turf horse in 2020; Uni (GB) was honored as the 2019 champion turf female; and Roy H. earned back-to-back champion male sprinter titles in 2017-18.
Further testament of his ability to sire versatile runners at the industry’s highest levels, More Than Ready is the number-one sire of Breeders’ Cup winners in history with seven wins in the marquee event, accomplished with six different winners of four different races at both sprint and route distances. Uni (GB) won the 2019 Mile; Roy H captured the 2018 and 2017 Sprint; Rushing Fall won the 2017 Juvenile Fillies Turf; Regally Ready annexed the 2011 Turf Sprint; More Than Real won the 2011 Juvenile Fillies Turf, and Pluck was triumphant in that year’s Juvenile Turf.
A dual-hemisphere shuttler and perhaps the most shuttled stallion ever, More Than Ready made an impact all around the globe, shuttling between WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., and Vinery Stud in Australia. He stood his initial season in Australia in 2001 and his last southern hemisphere crop are yearlings this year.
More Than Ready’s lifetime leading earners—all of them Grade or Group 1 winners—include More Joyous (NZ), an earner of $4,506,154 and an eight-time G1 winner; Roy H, who banked $3,139,765; Eagle Way (AUS), an earner of $2,955,998; and Rushing Fall, who earned $2,893,000. Also among his chief earners are Group 1 Golden Slipper winners Phelan Ready (AUS) with earnings of ($2,809,560), and Sebring (AUS), an earner of $2,365,522.
In 2022, More Than Ready is represented on the racetrack by Emmanuel, winner of the G2 Pennine Ridge Stakes and placed in the G1 Blue Grass Stakes; Consumer Spending, winner of the G2 Wonder Again Stakes and placed in the G1 Belmont Oaks; and Jean Gros, winner of the G2 New Zealand Trophy in Japan. His offspring remain in demand in the auction ring as well, as evidenced by a sale-topping $1.2 million colt at this year’s OBS March Sale.
Poised to carry on his legacy, More Than Ready’s sons are distinguishing themselves at stud, and include Daredevil, the sire of Kentucky Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil, and Preakness Stakes winner Swiss Skydiver. As a broodmare sire, More Than Ready is represented by 88 stakes winners and 15 Grade 1 winners, including 2022 Grade 1 winner Regal Glory.
Before elevating to greatness as a stallion, More Than Ready was a top-class racehorse. Trained during his racing career by Todd Pletcher for owner James Scatuorchio, More Than Ready captured the seven-furlong G1 King’s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga in 2000 at three and he also won that year’s G2 Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park. In a stellar juvenile season in 1999 in which he won five of seven starts, More Than Ready won the G2 Sanford Stakes by 9 ¾ lengths and the G3 Tremont Stakes by 4 ½ lengths. All told in his career, he amassed earnings of $1,026,229 and retired to stud with a record of 17-7-4-1.
More Than Ready began his stallion career at Vinery Stud in Lexington Ky., for the 2001 breeding season, and he was relocated to WinStar Farm ahead of the 2013 season.
Bred in Kentucky by Woodlyn Farm Inc., More Than Ready is by Southern Halo out of the winning Woodman mare Woodman’s Girl, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Bail Out Becky and from the family of Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Stephanie’s Kitten. He was sold by his breeder at the 1998 Keeneland September Sale for $187,000 to Edward Rosen, agent.
Larry McGinnis, longtime stallion manager at WinStar Farm, said of the legend’s passing, “To me, he was more than a great stallion, he was a great friend. It was an honor to take care of such a remarkable horse. I will miss him.”
