Farewell, Theatrical

[Soaring Softly]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

Theatrical was one of the first stallions I remember seeing an ad for on television. I didn't know much about the breeding industry at the time, so he was probably my introduction to it, and the more I found out about him as a racehorse and sire, the bigger a fan I was. It feels like the end of a personal era for me, watching so many of the stallions I first learned about now leaving us. For some reason, it didn't seem like that when Mr. Prospector passed because he'd been so established when I came into this sport. Losing horses like Theatrical makes me feel very nostalgic. Thanks for the retrospective on the show today, Steve, I appreciate it.

That, in many ways, mirrors my experience with Theatrical. He and John Henry were the most important horses for me in my early exposure and education in this fascinating game, and this hit me very hard. There's never been a horse who's death caused me to shed so many tears.

I thank you too, Steve. That was a truly beautiful remembrance with Bill Mott and Steve Haskin, capped off by the call of one of the greatest races, in my admittedly biased opinion, in Breeders Cup history. It meant a great deal to me.