'He was very handsome and knew it' - Shadwell great Albertus Maximus dies at 18

Grade 1 winner and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile hero Albertus Maximus has died at the age of 18.

Recently pensioned to Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Lexington, from Shadwell's Nashwan Stud, the stallion suffered a paddock accident that proved fatal. A full necropsy is pending.

The son of Old Friends retiree Albert The Great, out of the Forty Niner mare Chasethewildwind, Albertus Maximus won six of his 17 starts for earnings of $1,328,230.

Campaigned by Shadwell Farm and trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Albertus Maximus was twice Graded stakes-placed as a three-year-old before hitting his stride as a four and five-year-old.

He landed the second running of the TVG Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita in 2008, before scoring the biggest victory of his career in the 2009 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park. That race morphed into the Pegasus World Cup.

Sent over to the UAE for the Dubai World Cup that same year, Albertus Maximus suffered an injury during the race and was retired. He spent the entirety of his stud career at Hamdan Al Maktoum's Shadwell Farm near Lexington.

"Albertus Maximus inherited his sire's self-confidence," said Old Friends president Michael Blowen.

"Like Albert The Great, Albertus was well aware of his extraordinary talents. If he wasn't the friendliest retiree, he was very handsome and knew it - and we specialise in superstars."

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