WinStar Stallion Laoban Dies at Age 8
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Photo: Courtesy of WinStar Farm/Louise E. Reinagel
Laoban at WinStar Farm
Laoban , a leading second-crop sire at WinStar Farm, died unexpectedly at age 8, the Versailles, Ky., farm announced May 24. The son of Uncle Mo relocated to WinStar last year from Sequel Stallions 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 favorite 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."
Laoban's first crop included Simply Ravishing , a 6 1/4-length winner of the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland; Keepmeinmind , a multiple grade 1-placed juvenile who won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs and this year at 3 finished fourth in the May 15 Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course; and stakes winners Laobanonaprayer , Devious Mo , and The King Cheek . His daughter Ava's Grace is also multiple graded stakes placed.
As of Monday, Laoban ranked fifth on the second-crop sire list. He was the second-leading first-crop stallion of 2020 behind Nyquist , another Uncle Mo son.
Laoban was bred in Kentucky by Respite Farm out of the stakes-placed Speightstown mare Chattertown . His second dam is stakes winner Chatter Chatter , a full sister to Chit Chatter , dam of multiple grade 1 winner and multi-millionaire I'm a Chatterbox .
Consigned by Denali Stud as a weanling, Laoban was a $40,000 purchase by agent Milfer Farm at the 2013 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. GEM Stables then bought him for $260,000 from the Legacy Bloodstock Consignment to the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
On the racetrack Laoban was campaigned by McCormick Racing and Southern Equine Stables and trained by Eric Guillot. He entered the 2016 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course having not won a race in seven previous starts, but broke his maiden in dramatic fashion as he went gate to wire in the graded stakes. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, the bay pulled off a 27-1 upset as he completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.39 and won by 1 1/4 lengths.
Laoban wins the 2016 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
Laoban made one more start that summer and was retired at the end of the year due to a soft tissue injury. From nine career starts, he collected a 1-2-1 record and earned $526,250. Prior to the Jim Dandy, he placed in the Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park and Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack. He was also fourth in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.
He began his stud career at Sequel Stallions New York for a $7,500 fee. He stood for $5,000 in 2020, the year his first 2-year-olds hit the racetrack. In October, it was announced that Laoban would move to Kentucky to stand at WinStar for the 2021 season. He fee increased to $25,000 for this year.
Through Monday, Laoban was represented by 56 starters from 139 foals of racing age and sired 25 winners—five of which were black-type winners, and two of those were graded stakes winners. His progeny have collectively earned $2,633,776 to date.
His 3-year-old son The King Cheek, winner of the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness Stakes (G1) undercard, is entered in the $300,000 Penn Mile Stakes (G2T) May 28 at Penn National Race Course.