English Channel Passes Away; Sired 6 Canadian Champions

Perennial leading turf sire English Channel’s health rapidly declined in the past 24 hours and under the care of top equine specialists at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, English Channel passed this morning. He was 19.

The son of Canadian star Smart Strike – Belva by Theatrical had been standing at Calumet Farm in Lexington for a fee of $27,500. He began his stud career in 2008 at Hurricane Hall, moved to Lane’s End in 2010 and Calumet in 2014.

“English Channel certainly went out on top. He was the number one turf sire for the past two years and you could consistently find his progeny on the board in the top turf races across the country,” read a statement from Calumet Farm.

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“English Channel has meant so much to Calumet throughout the years and we appreciate all the breeders who also supported him.”

English Channel will be buried in the famed Calumet cemetery alongside many other champions from the farm’s storied history. “It is a well-earned and fitting final resting place for such a spectacular horse.”

An Eclipse Award winner for Champion Turf Male, English Channel won multiple Grade 1s on the track, including the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Monmouth.

He was the leading turf sire in North America in 2020 with five graded stakes winners including Canadian-bred CHANNEL MAKER. He is leading this year’s turf sires list also. At the time of his death, he had sired seven champions, seven millionaires, 32 graded-stakes winners, and 62 black-type winners, according to the Calumet Farm web site. This year he is again North America’s leading turf sire.

Canadian owners and breeders were very fond of English Channel not just as a turf sire, but his offspring also did well on the all-weather surfaces at Woodbine. He is currently the ninth leading sire in North America by all-weather earnings by his runners. His leading earner in 2021 by all-weather earnings is THE MINKSTER, the 2-year-old Canadian-bred who won the Coronation Futurity at Woodbine recently for Sea Glass Stables and trainer Dan Vella.

Vella also trained 2021 Champion Three-Year-Old and Queen’s Plate winner STRAIT OF DOVER, a son of English Channel and was the first trainer for eventual Grade 1 winner CHANNEL MAKER, who was Canada’s Champion Three-Year-Old.

“I’ve had a few English Channels and they are late to mature mentally and physically. He matured a lot from that race, but he has a lot more to do. Very few English Channels reach their peak in the first race of their life. They get nothing but better with age and racing.”

In fact, six of English Channel’s seven champions were Canadian-breds; CHANNEL MAKER, STRAIT OF DOVER, INTERPOL, ADMIRALTY PIER, JOHNNY BEAR and HEART TO HEART. He also sired multiple graded Canadian-based stakes winner PUMPKIN RUMBLE.