WinStar stallion and leading second-crop sire Laoban dies unexpectedly at eight

Laoban, a leading second-crop sire, has died unexpectedly, WinStar Farm announced on Monday.

The eight-year-old son of Uncle Mo had relocated to WinStar Farm last year from Sequel Stallions in New York and was standing his initial season at WinStar.

“It is with heavy hearts that we have to announce that we lost Laoban this morning,” said Elliott Walden, WinStar’s president, CEO and racing manager.

“He had quickly become one of our favourite stallions, and it’s sad that we will not have the opportunity to see how influential he could have been as a sire.

"His passing will leave a tremendous void for all of us, and he will be greatly missed.”

As a sire, Laoban has been represented by Grade 1 heroine Simply Ravishing, a six-and-a-quarter-length winner of the Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland, and Grade 2 victor Keepmeinmind, who took the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, is multiple Grade 1-placed and most recently finished fourth in the Preakness Stakes, among others.

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