Death of Grade 2 winner and top-level sire Posse aged 25 in Uruguay

Prominent Uruguay stallion and US expatriate Grade 1-placed, Grade 2 winner Posse died at Haras Rapetti, where he has been standing solely since the latter half of 2016, Turf Diario reported on Tuesday. He was 25.

The son of Silver Deputy had been diagnosed with a tumour and was recently suffering from complications to his health.

Robert and Lawanna Low bred Posse out of the Rahy daughter Raska. The owner-breeders sold the colt for $115,000 during the 2001 Keeneland September Yearling Sale to Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt. With trainer Steve Asmussen, Posse won the Grade 3 Kentucky Breeders' Cup Stakes at Churchill Downs at two and placed in two other stakes races.

Posse started his three-year-old season with a track record-setting performance, going five furlongs on dirt in allowance company in :57.35 at Fair Grounds. He went on to win the Grade 3 Lafayette Stakes at Keeneland and the Grade 2 Riva Ridge Breeders' Cup Stakes at Belmont Park, both at seven furlongs. He added two other stakes wins to his resume in 2003 in the Matt Winn Stakes and Thanksgiving Handicap, and also placed in the Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes and Grade 3 Swale Stakes. He retired with a 7-2-2 record from 18 starts and earned $662,841.

Posse entered stud at Vinery in Kentucky in 2004 and stood there for six seasons. Starting in 2010, he was relocated to New York, where he stood at Vinery New York (formerly Sugar Maple Farm) and later Rockridge Stud (2014-16). He shuttled one year in 2015 before being acquired by Haras Rapetti.

Mind Your Biscuits: multiple Grade 1 winner is one of Posse's leading progenyCredit: Edward Whitaker

In North America, Posse sired 37 black-type winners that included nine Graded winners. His son Kodiak Kowboy was named Canada's champion two-year-old colt for 2007 and honoured as 2009's Eclipse champion sprinter after winning the Vosburgh, Carter Handicap and Cigar Mile Handicap, all Grade 1. Kodiak Kowboy stood in Kentucky from 2010-2014, spending three years at Vinery and two at WinStar Farm. He stood in Brazil from 2014 until his death last year.

Posse's other top performers include multiple Grade 1 winner Mind Your Biscuits (who stands in Japan), 2011 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Caleb's Posse and Grade 3 winners Control Group, Rinaldi and Lantana Mob  along with several multiple stakes winners in New York. 

Caleb's Posse stands at River Oaks Farms in Oklahoma, while Lantana Mob stands at Breakway Farm in Indiana.

In the southern hemisphere, Posse sired 135 winners led by 2023 Uruguay champion two-year-old filly Rubia Posse.

Posse was several times the leading sire of two-year-olds in Uruguay, according to Haras Rapetti. He sired foals in 2023 and although essentially retired last year, reportedly did cover one mare in 2024 who is in foal.

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