Hay Jude, Dam of BC Turf Winner Little Mike, Dies at 26
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Photo: Courtesy of Old Friends
Hay Jude at Old Friends
Hay Jude, the dam of Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) winner Little Mike , died peacefully from an apparent heart attack, Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Farm announced Aug. 30. The 26-year-old mare resided at Old Friends' annex farm in Georgetown, Ky.
Bred and raced in Illinois by Long Meadow Stables, Hay Jude was a hard-knocking horse on the racetrack but proved even more successful as a broodmare. After a 30-start career in which she collected a 5-7-1 record and earned $113,152, the Wavering Monarch daughter produced 12 foals, from which 10 started and eight won.
In 2007 Hay Jude, produced from the Relaunch mare Double Norm, foaled a bay son of Spanish Steps for Carlo Vaccarezza in Florida. That foal, later named Little Mike , grew up to win the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1T), Arlington Million (G1T), and Breeders' Cup Turf in 2012. Those feats earned him honors as Florida's 2012 Horse of the Year, champion grass horse, and champion older horse. Hay Jude was named Florida's Broodmare of the Year for that same season.
Little Mike wins the 2012 Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita Park
Little Mike added another top-level score in 2013 in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (G1T). From 30 starts, he holds a 14-2-1 record and earned over $3.5 million. The gelding retired to Old Friends in 2016.
Little Mike was the second stakes winner out of Hay Jude. In 2005 the mare produced Little Nick (by Tiger Ridge), who won black-type stakes at ages 4, 5, and 6 on the racetrack on his way to earning nearly half a million dollars from a 9-7-9 record in 40 starts.
Hay Jude's last foal, the 3-year-old filly Little Jewel (Liam's Map ), placed in one start last year. Her 4-year-old colt Militarist (Liam's Map) won an allowance race Aug. 28 on the Ellis Park turf, and her 5-year-old son Parkland (Midnight Lute ) won an allowance race Aug. 15 on the same course.