Grade 1 Winner Albert the Great Euthanized at 24

Grade 1 winner Albert the Great  was euthanized Nov. 19 at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement farm based in Georgetown, Ky., where he has been pensioned since 2017.

According to attending veterinarian Dr. Bryan Waldridge, the 24-year-old stallion was euthanized due to chronic sinus infection. 

Campaigned by owner Tracy Farmer and trainer Nick Zito, the son of Go for Gin had a short but prestigious career. He earned his first graded stakes victory as a 3-year-old by capturing the 2000 Dwyer Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park to top a four-race win streak. Later that season, he won the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) by six lengths at Belmont, completing 1 1/4 miles in 1:59.24. At Saratoga Race Course that summer he fell just a head short of victory when caught by Unshaded in the Travers Stakes (G1).

At 4 Albert the Great captured the Widener Handicap (G3) at Hialeah Park, the Suburban (G2) and Brooklyn (G2) handicaps at Belmont Park, and ran second in four other grade 1 contests—the Donn Handicap, Pimlico Special Handicap, Whitney Handicap, and Woodward Stakes. 

Albert the Great retired from racing in 2001 following a third-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Belmont. He earned $3,012,490 from 22 career starts, 15 of which were made in graded stakes, and accomplished an 8-6-4 record.

Albert Clay bred Albert the Great in Kentucky out of the stakes-placed Fappiano mare Bright Feather, the dam of two other stakes winners in Watch the Bird in Sheer Bliss, grade 2-placed Crimson Hero, and stakes-placed Antrim County. Farmer purchased him for $85,000 at the 1998 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from consignor Three Chimneys Farm, agent.

Albert the Great entered stud in 2002 at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky before relocating in 2008 to Pin Oak Lane Farm in Pennsylvania. He sired grade 1 winners as Moonshine Mullin  , Albertus Maximus , and Nobiz Like Shobiz , who is currently retired at Old Friends. From 15 crops, he sired 241 winners, nine black-type winners, and 11 black-type placers. His progeny to date has cumulative earnings of $18,657,693.

"Albert the Great was aptly named," said Michael Blowen, founder and president of Old Friends. "He was the master and everyone else was just a serf. He didn't need you to be his friend, just his servant. He was certainly a unique iconoclast and he'll be missed. Our thanks to Three Chimneys, Tracy and Carol Farmer, and Nick Zito. They raised a great one."