Lyphard, who led international sire and broodmare sire lists multiple times throughout his 23-year stallion career, died at the age of 36 on June 10 at Antony Beck`s Gainesway Farm in Lexington. Lyphard stood at Gainesway from 1978 through `96 (though his last crop is from the `95 breeding season) after standing his first five years at Haras d`Etreham in France, and he has been pensioned at the farm since he retired from breeding after the `96 season. Beck said that the son of Northern Dancer would be buried in Gainesway`s stallion cemetery next to In Reality.

"Lyphard has been a part of the Gainesway family for 27 years," Beck said. "He was a tremendous racehorse and sire; we are saddened by his passing."

Lyphard sired eight champions in six different countries among 115 stakes winners�65 of them graded or group�and he was the leading sire in France in 1978 when Reine de Saba (Fr) won the Prix de Diane de Revlon (Fr-G1) (French Oaks) and earned champion three-year-old filly honors in France. Lyphard was leading sire in France again in `79 when Three Troikas (Fr) won the Poule d`Essai des Pouliches (Fr-G1) (French One Thousand Guineas) and the Prix de l`Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) on the way to Horse of the Year and champion three-year-old honors in that country.

In 1986, Lyphard was the leading sire in the United States and leading broodmare sire in France. That year Manila won three Grade 1 races, including the Breeders` Cup Turf (G1), en route to champion turf horse honors and Dancing Brave won four Group 1 races, including the English Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) and the Prix de l`Arc de Triomphe, en route to championship honors in both England and France.

Lyphard`s mares have produced 12 champions and 206 stakes winners�98 of them graded or group�and 28 of his mares have progeny earnings in excess of $1-million. Hatoof, by Irish River (Fr) out of the graded stakes-placed winner Cadeaux d`Amie, won the 1992 One Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) and two years later claimed champion turf female honors in the U.S. Lyphard was also the broodmare sire of Tight Spot, by His Majesty out of the stakes-winner Premium Win, who won two Grade 1s in 1991 including the Arlington Million Stakes (G1) and was named champion turf male.

Lyphard has had one starter this year, the nine-year-old Illinois-bred horse J. R. Stevenson, who is winless in five starts in England this season. Lyphard generated 14% stakes winners from his 843 foals with 504 winners from 710 starters who earned $50,973,497.

Trained by Alec Head, Lyphard won six of 12 career starts, including five stakes, and earned $195,427. Lyphard was bred in Pennsylvania by Mrs. J. O. Burgwin out of the stakes-winning *Court Martial mare Goofed and is a half brother to two-time Grade or Group 1 winner Nobiliary and multiple Grade 2 winner Barcas. Lyphard is from the immediate family of Australian classic winner Magical Miss, French Group 1 winner Seeking the Pearl, and Grade 1 winners Another Review and No Review.

Lyphard`s death leaves Stop the Music, another Gainesway pensioner, as Thoroughbred racing`s oldest prominent horse at the age of 35.

Thoroughbred Times