Jump to User Comments Dual classic winner and 1988 Horse of the Year Alysheba was euthanized on Friday night Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington at 11:13 p.m. ET. He was 25.

Alysheba, who suffered from a degenerative spinal condition, fell in his stall at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington on Friday and was unable to get to his feet. Nathan Slovis, D.V.M., who regularly treated Alysheba, evaluated him after the fall but was unable to save the oldest living Kentucky Derby (G1) winner.

Alysheba, who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes (G1) in 1987, was buried on Saturday morning at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions, across from the grave of champion John Henry. He won 11 of 26 career starts and amassed $6,679,242 in purse earnings, retiring as the leading North American-raced career earner.

By Alydar out of the stakes-placed Lt. Stevens mare Bel Sheba, Alysheba was welcomed back to Kentucky on October 31 by an enthusiastic crowd at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Kentucky-bred Alysheba was sent to the Horse Park as a gift to the American people from Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah.

"Alysheba had just become part of the Kentucky Horse Park family last fall, and we were looking forward to having him for many years to come," said John Nicholson, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Park. "Discussions with Dr. Slovis and King Abdullah's team, however, led us to conclude that this was the right thing to do for Alysheba, and Hagyard's staff performed admirably in such a difficult situation. I am grateful to His Majesty for giving us the opportunity to enjoy this special horse and share him again with his many fans, and I am happy that his last days were spent here on his native soil."

After spending the first ten years of his stud career at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End in Versailles, Kentucky, Alysheba was purchased in February 2000 by Saudi Arabian Prince Miteb bin Abdullah and was sent to stand at the prince’s Janadriyah Stud Farm on the outskirts of the capital city of Riyadh.

"His injury is one of those incidents that is not uncommon in older horses, and, unfortunately, nothing can ever be done,” said Frank McGovern, general manager of King Abdullah's stables in Saudi Arabia. “I am glad that he was back home and enjoying the first shoots of spring before this happened."

Alysheba won only one of seven starts as a juvenile, but showed his class with runner-up finishes in the Hollywood Futurity (G1) and Breeders’ Futurity (G2) and a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Stakes (G1) for Racing Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg and owners Dorothy and Pamela Scharbauer.

"He stuck out like a diamond in a rock pile." Van Berg said. “He was so smart he knew what he was doing all the time."

Alysheba entered the 1987 Kentucky Derby off a third-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and rallied from 14th in the 17-horse field under Racing Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron to win by three-quarters of a length over Bet Twice.

Alysheba came back two weeks later and defeated Bet Twice again in the Preakness Stakes (G1), but he was unable to complete a sweep of the Triple Crown races in the Belmont Stakes (G1). Alysheba finished fourth in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes, 14 1/4 lengths behind Bet Twice.

After closing his three-year-old campaign with a runner-up finish to Ferdinand in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), Alysheba won the Eclipse Award as outstanding three-year-old male.

But as impressive as Alysheba was as a three-year-old he was even better at four. He won seven of nine starts, including Grade 1 wins in the Santa Anita Handicap, Woodward Handicap, Meadowlands Cup Handicap, Charles H. Strub Stakes, and the Philip H. Iselin Handicap. Alysheba capped his career with a half-length win in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Alysheba’s death came only nine days after the passing of 1992 Kentucky Derby winner Lil E. Tee, leaving Strike the Gold (1991) as the oldest living Derby winner.