RIP Black Tie Affair (1986-2010)
 

Haven't had a chance to listen to ATR so if this was discussed ad nauseum forgive me, but it wasn't on Bloodhorse.com that I could see, and happened today, so I thought it might be breaking.

The Breeders' Cup folks just posted a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVJ3QthurT0 of his Classic win, in memoriam on Facebook. I was a bit stunned to find out that way. He was 24 and got pensioned about a year ago I believe, so I'm assuming it's the infirmities of old age. RIP big guy. I really enjoyed watching him run. It's really depressing when one of the first big horses you took an interest in passes away.

I'm so glad he was in good hands at Old Friends. They're truly special people.

One of my favorites...:(

He was at the Old Friends retirement farm. Had ongoing problems with melanoma.

Mine too. RIP

Ah that would make sense. Don't a lot of greys have issues with melanoma as they age? I could've sworn even though Winning Colors died after colicking that she had troubles with that too, as did Cozzene. Not sure about The Bid, Lady's Secret, etc.

I remember either Lady's Secret or Winning Colors or possibly both went through the sales ring in Kentucky as broodmares with unsightly tumors on their heads.

Unfortunately it is pretty common.

He was the luckiest BC Classic winner ever....but hard to begrudge such a cool horse. He was 3rd in the BC Sprint to Safely Kept and Dayjur the year prior to his Classic win. He won the Commonwealth at Keeneland at 7F in back to back years ( 32:1 and 7:1 ) and was second in the Carter to Housebuster at 7F as well. He also won the Stephen Foster and Iselin ( over Farma Way ) at 1 1/8 plus a host of other races. He broke his maiden at Phili Park.

Tough horse not to like.

I was going to say the same, that BC Classic was stolen.

Skywalker maybe comes to mind.

He was a very good broodmare sire as well

Freakin Mccarron. I KNEW he was going to let BTA steal that race, and even though I hit that exacta, I was pissed after that race.

Yeah, that was pretty amazing as well. Took advantage of a speed track. To think, he beat Turkoman and Precisionist.

who was also at Old Friends until he passed.

"He was just life-changing for us," Dee Poulos, wife of late trainer Ernie Poulos, said in a statement from Old Friends. "It was such a wonderful experience with him. He was, and will still be, an inspiration for me. When things got tough, I would think about Black Tie. He was my motivator."

Dee Poulos last saw Black Tie Affair at Old Friends in June.

"I felt I just had to see him, and I told my sister that we just had to go," she said. "I'm so glad we did. I spent a lot of time with him that day. We brought him out and he was just grazing, and I was playing with his ears–I always loved the feel of his ears–and he suddenly looked up at me and I thought, ‘Oh, Black Tie just said goodbye.’ I didn’t want to think that way, but it was a terrible feeling I had. It was just wonderful that he ended up at Old Friends. The horse was one of a kind."



http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...ie-affair-dead

http://www.examiner.com/x-43823-Hors...ack-Tie-Affair


I met him for the first time at Old Friends. RIP, big fella.

Great article. Thanks for sharing.

You bet. I edited my post and added a more personal piece by Rick Capone.

The guy even raced at Ak-Sar-Ben before taking the Breeders Cup. I'll always appreciate him for that. He was one of the best to ever set foot on that track.

Black Tie Affair also won the Michigan mile at DRC when the race had grade 2 status.

Probably my all-time favorite. I had the chance to visit him two summers ago at O'Sullivan out in Charles Town. He was pocked with bumps all over at that point, and we surmised that he probably had issues with melanoma.

His Classic win - and his 1991 season - were pretty fantastic. And, of course, he is the sire of the great Formal Gold. Very sad to hear of his passing.

Unbridled, Summer Squall, Marquetry, and Fly so Free all finished behind Black Tie Affair in 1991 - all went on to reasonably successful careers as stallions.

Awwww... You can see in the pictures where his tumors were.. Poor baby... He sounds like he was such a sweetheart :(