Officials at Claiborne Farm announced Monday that multiple graded stakes winner Performer (Speightstown–Protesting, by A.P. Indy) has passed away. He was sent to the clinic Friday night and died early Saturday morning from a ruptured stomach.
Bred by the Phipps Stable, Performer was a debut third, but commenced a five-raced winning streak thereafter over increasing distances and capped by a 1 3/4-length success in the 2019 GIII Discovery S. at Aqueduct. The chestnut, who bore a striking resemblance to former Phipps runner Easy Goer, returned victoriously from an 11-month layoff and followed that with a third-place effort in the GI Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile H. last December. In two starts this term, Performer won the GIII Fred W. Hooper S. and was third in the GII Gulfstream Park Mile S. From the family of champions Storm Flag Flying and Personal Ensign, Performer was slated to begin his first year at stud in 2022 at historic Claiborne Farm having amassed a record of 6-0-3 from nine career trips to the post.
He will be buried in the Marchmont cemetery at Claiborne Farm.
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