Big Bad Bob Dies At 16

Cristina Patino's Big Bad Bob (Ire) (Bob Back–Fantasy Girl {Ire}, by Marju {Ire}), who made a name for himself when siring a high ratio of winners to runners from modest beginnings at stud, died Saturday at age 16 in a paddock accident at the Irish National Stud.

Campaigned as a homebred by Patino's Windflower Overseas Holdings, Big Bad Bob won four of his six outings as a 2-year-old for trainer John Dunlop, including Ascot's Listed Autumn S. Big Bad Bob opened his 3-year-old campaign with a second to subsequent G1 Epsom Derby scorer Kris Kin (Kris S) in the G3 Dee S., but bypassed the Classics in favour of Royal Ascot. That dream failed to materialise when the dark bay was last of eight in the G2 King Edward VII S., but he rebounded thereafter to take a 10 1/2-furlong Haydock conditions race followed by France's Listed Prix Ridgway, and Germany's G3 Furstenberg-Rennen two weeks later. Big Bad Bob raced until age five, retiring with eight wins from 22 starts and earnings of £122,851.

Standing initially at Islanmore Stud, where he covered Patino's mares almost exclusively, Big Bad Bob drew the attention of astute breeders when his first few crops turned out a high ratio of winners to runners, including the Group 3 winners Berg Bahn (Ire) and Bible Belt (Ire), and listed winner Bob Le Beau (Ire). Big Bad Bob was transferred to the Irish National Stud in 2011. He started as a fee of €6,000, which later rose to €9,000, and his more recent flagbearers include last year's G3 Dance Design S. winner Bocca Baciata (Ire) and last year's listed-winning 2-year-old Tashweeq (Ire). Big Bad Bob is the sire of nine stakes winners. His current 3-year-olds come from a book of 143 mares; his 2-year-olds a book of 103 mares and his yearlings a book of 161 mares.