Successful International Sire Forestry Dies at 27

Forestry , a grade 1-winning son of Storm Cat and a successful sire in North America and South America, died Dec. 27 at Haras São José da Serra in Paraná, Brazil, due to health problems associated with old age, according to the Brazilian Association of Racehorse Breeders and Owners. The stallion was 27.

Robert S. Evans bred Forestry out of grade 1 winner Shared Interest and sold him for $1.5 million during the 1997 Keeneland July Sale to Aaron and Marie Jones. Trainer Bob Baffert, who signed the sales ticket as agent, won seven of 11 starts with the colt at 3. Forestry's top performances included wins in the King's Bishop Stakes (G1) and Dwyer Stakes (G2). He also was third in the Haskell Invitational Handicap (G1). His last race would be a fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), after which he was retired to stud at Taylor Made Stallions for the 2000 breeding season at $50,000.

Forestry would be a top-five freshman sire of 2003 and ranked a close second to Victory Gallop during his second-crop year by progeny earnings and second to Stravinsky by number of stakes winners with 11. He stayed in the top three of his sire class as a third-crop sire and again ranked second with 12 stakes winners to Stravinsky's 13. 

His early top performers included grade 1 winners Forest Danger , Diplomat Lady , Discreet Cat , and multiple graded stakes winner Smokey Glacken . His stud fee climbed to a peak of $125,000 by 2007 and in 2011 he sired his only American classic winner when Shackleford  won the Preakness Stakes (G1).

From 2010 through 2014, Forestry was shuttled to South America, standing for two seasons in Argentina and one in Peru. In 2014, he shuttled to Brazil but did not return to the United States. Instead, a consortium of Brazilian breeders—Haras São José da Serra, Haras Las Madres, and Gelso Luiz Cima—bought the stallion.

From 14 Southern Hemisphere crops, Forestry has sired 31 black-type winners, which include 23 group winners and three champions. He sired two Brazil champions in 2021 with Itaperuna, who was champion sprinter and champion older mare; and Oceano Azul, who was named champion 2-year-old colt. His Peruvian-bred son Khazir was named Peru's champion sprinter for 2022.

He sired 18 classic winners in Brazil, including group 1 winners Oceano Azul, Itaperuna, Gata Y Flor, and Hembra, according to the breeders and owners association.

"The stallion figured as one of the longest living and most successful breeders in all of South America," the association stated in its announcement.

For both hemispheres combined, Forestry has sired 84 stakes winners to date (5% from named foals of racing age) and 38 graded/group winners. His progeny have earned more than $60.3 million worldwide.

Forestry is a successful broodmare sire, as well, with 18 daughters having produced runners that have collectively earned more than $1 million in purses. His most successful runners as a broodmare sire include Country Grammer  , a multiple grade 1 winner and third-most-successful North American-based runner with $14,921,320 in earnings; 2015 champion 2-year-old male, 2016 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner, and sire Nyquist  ; six-time grade 1 winner and 2020 champion turf female Rushing Fall ; 2014 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) winner and sire Bobby's Kitten ; and, three-time grade 1 winner Turbulent Descent .

Forestry's last crop was born in 2022.