'We are all very sad - but she lived a long and productive life'

Graded stakes winner Blending Element, whose first seven career starts came in Ireland in the mid-1990s, has died at the age of 29 at Sheltowee Farm in Midway, Kentucky.

The mare, whose five stakes winners include current California sire Texas Ryano, has been one of the foundation broodmares of the Williamson family. Raced in the United States by the late Warren Williamson, Blending Element produced 12 foals, all bred by Williamson or in the name of Williamson Racing, operated by Williamson and his son Henry.

"We are all very sad," said Henry Williamson. "But she lived a long and productive life, both as a Graded stakes winner and mom to multiple stakes winners, including our stallion Texas Ryano."

Bred by Sir Edmund Loder, Blending Element was by Great Commotion out of Blue Wedding, by Irish River.

She began her racing career in her native Ireland, winning a Ballinrobe maiden on her third start as a three-year-old for the Tommy Stack yard. She finished fourth twice in Listed races, at the Curragh and Gowran Park, the same season.

Trained in the U.S. by Carla Gaines, Blending Element won the 1999 Grade 3 Yerba Buena Breeders' Cup Handicap and The Very One Handicap, and the 1998 Reloy Handicap. She placed in five other stakes and earned $448,483.

Blending Element did even better as a broodmare. In addition to 2016 Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup winner Texas Ryano, she produced Tiz Elemental, whose three stakes victories included the 2008 Grade 3 Las Flores Handicap; Excessive Blend, a multiple stakes winner and champion California-bred three-year-old female of 2009; stakes winners Tiz A Blend and Holladay Road and Graded stakes-placed War Element and American Blend.

Most of Blending Element's offspring raced for the Williamsons. Henry Williamson stands Texas Ryano at his Arroyo Vista Farm near Valley Center, California, and owns Ultimate Blend, a seven-year-old daughter of Tiznow out of Blending Element.

Ultimate Blend's first foal is a yearling colt by Omaha Beach. She is in foal to Goldencents, and Williamson said he plans to breed her to Mo Forza.

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