Champion Grass Wonder, The Grandsire Of Maurice, Dies At 30

[Wandering Eyes]

Grass Wonder (Silver Hawk) has died at the age of 30, Japan's Big Red Farm announced on Friday. The 1997 Japanese champion juvenile colt, the paternal grandsire of 2015 Japanese Horse of the Year Maurice, was diagnosed with multiple organ failure on Thursday and died August 8.

A statement from the farm read, “Grass Wonder passed away today, August 8, 2025. He was undefeated from his debut, winning the Asahi Hai in record time and had a brilliant career as a racehorse, including three consecutive Grand Prix victories.

“As a stallion, he produced multiple Group 1 winners, and his son, Screen Hero, has produced a successor in Maurice.

“He turned 30 this year and was in good health, but his condition worsened yesterday evening. He passed away this evening [Friday]. Our deepest condolences to a distinguished horse who left a significant achievement in Japanese horse racing. Rest in peace, Grass Wonder.”

Bred by Phillips Racing Partnership and John Phillips in Kentucky, the second foal out of Ameriflora (Danzig) was offered at the 1996 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Phillips's Darby Dan Farm. Grass Wonder sold for $250,000 to Nobuo Tsunoda. Raced by the Hanzawa family, the full-brother to two-time Grade I winner Wonder Again was trained by Mitsuhiro Ogata and was undefeated en route to his championship. He added his first Arima Kinen at three, and the Takarazuka Kinen and another Arima Kinen at four. Of his nine lifetime victories, four of them were elevated to international Group 1 status in subsequent years–the Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes, the Arima Kinen (1998/1999) and the Takarazuka Kinen (1999).

Retired after his 5-year-old season in 2000, he began his stallion career at the Breeders Stallion Station and would later move to Big Red Farm where he would stay until being pensioned in 2021. At stud, he sired 736 winners from 1327 foals (55%). Just 15 of those were stakes winners, with the Takarazuka Kinen hero Earnestly and G1 Japan Cup hero Screen Hero his only top-level scorers. Maurice, who stands at Shadai Stallion Station and Arrowfield Stud in Japan and Australia, respectively, is the sire of 32 stakes winners, with 22 at group level anchored by six top-flight winners.

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