LEXINGTON, KY—APRIL 23, 2013—Leading Thoroughbred sire and grade I winner Storm Cat was euthanized today (April 24) at the Young family's Overbrook Farm near Lexington due to complications from infirmities of old age. He was 30.

A son of Storm Bird out of the stakes-winning mare Terlingua, Storm Cat was bred and raced by William T. Young. Trained by Hall Of Famer D. Wayne Lucas, who formerly was a leading Quarter Horse trainer for many years, he captured the Young America Stakes (gr. I) and finished second in the 1985 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), earning $570,610.

Storm Cat retired from racing in 1987 to stand at Overbrook Farm. After breeding his first book of mares in 1988 at a fee of $30,000, he spent 20 years at stud during a career that saw his fee rise to as high as $500,000.

The prolific stallion sired earners of over $127 million, eight champions, and 108 graded stakes winners including winners of the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), Belmont Stakes (gr. I), Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), and five Breeders' Cup races. He ranked second on the all-time Breeders' Cup sire list and was the sire of numerous European group I winners. He topped the general sire list twice, the juvenile sire list a record seven times, and was leading broodmare sire in 2012.

Of his yearlings, 462 sold at public auction for over $319 million, including 91 yearlings which brought $1 million or more. By comparison, his grandsire, Northern Dancer ranked second with 52 yearlings which brought $1 million or more, according to Overbrook.

Storm Cat retired from active stud duties in 2008 and led a quiet life at Overbrook.

Through the advances of artificial insemination and a special fertility procedure developed at Texas A&M University, Storm Cat was made available to Quarter Horse mares that year.

His first American Quarter Horse foal, Stray Cat, was born May 22, 2009 at Vessels Stallion Farm, near Bonsall, California. Owned by Grammy-winning singing star Lyle Lovett and Vessels Stallion Farm the colt was out the Champion mare Your First Moon, a daughter of All-Time Leading Quarter Horse sire First Down Dash. Your First Moon earned more than $750,000 with such grade 1 wins at the Los Alamitos Million Futurity(G1).

Stray Cat has won or placed in six of 14 career starts to 4, earning $24,118. Under the care of 11-time AQHA Racing champion trainer Paul Jones, he most recently finished fourth in the Red Cell Distance Challenge at Sunland Park on March 31.

Storm Cat’s deceased son, Hennessy, is the sire of grade 1 Quarter Horse winner and multiple grade 1 stakes sire Check Him Out.

"Storm Cat was a once-in-a-lifetime horse and the key to the success that Overbrook Farm enjoyed. My father often said that Storm Cat made him look like a genius," Overbrook Farm owner William T. Young Jr. said in a statement.

Ric Waldman, who managed Storm Cat's stud career, said, "Storm Cat was a major impact sire—a major impact on the future of the breed and a major impact on the lives of those of us at Overbrook."

Storm Cat was buried at Overbrook Farm.