Grindstone’s racing career lasted only five days after he won the 1996 Kentucky Derby, but he lived for 29 years.
Jack Root’s Oakhurst Equine Veterinary Services, located in Oregon, announced Grindstone’s death on Wednesday. Oakhurst acquired Grindstone after Overbrook Farm gave out its stock following the death of owner William T. Young became the Derby winner’s first stud in the Pacific Northwest.
Grindstone was the oldest living Derby winner following the death of Go For Gin earlier this month.
“Thank you for providing us with a thrill of a lifetime,” a tweet from Oakhurst said Wednesday. “You changed our lives when you joined us and will always be missed.”
Grindstone, who was lightly raced by Derby standards, won the 1996 Louisiana Derby and then lost the Arkansas Derby by a neck in his last prep-race.
Coupled with Editor’s Note as an entry for Overbrook Farm and trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Grindstone won the Kentucky Derby by a nose over Cavonnier, Bob Baffert’s first Derby entry. It was the sixth victory in the Triple Crown events for Lukas.
For Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, Grindstone’s fourth rider in six races, it was his second winning Derby mount.
“He was a smallish horse,” Bailey recalled Wednesday. “He was what you would call a classic overachiever. He was very athletic, could make my job easier in terms of acceleration during the race. He was fun to ride. He probably won more races than he should have.”
Grindstone, the son of 1990 winner Unbridled, was retired after a bone chip was discovered in his knee shortly following the Derby.
Grindstone sired more than 300 winners, including Birdstone, who in 2004 denied Smarty Jones the opportunity to claim a Triple Crown when he won the Belmont Stakes.
