US champion, and highly successful sire, English Channel has died. The son of Smart Strike ‘s health rapidly declined over the past 24 hours and while he was under the care of top equine specialists at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, according to Calumet Farm, where the sire stood. He was 19.English Channel was North America’s leading turf sire for 2020 with more than $4.78 million in progeny earnings and five graded stakes winners, including four-time grade 1 winner Channel Maker . The sire currently leads the North American turf sire standings with more than $6.3 million in progeny earnings. His top runner this year is grade 1 winner War Like Goddess , who won the Flower Bowl Stakes (G1T) along with three other graded stakes and most recently was third in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).English Channel made his only start at 2 a winning one, taking a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on the grass at Saratoga Race Course by a length. At 3, he won his first stakes in the Woodlawn Stakes at Pimlico Race Course and became a graded stakes winner in the Virginia Derby (G3T) two races later. English Channel proved he belonged among the elite runners with two seconds in grade 1 stakes that year.Already a millionaire entering his 4-year-old year, he solidified his place among the best turf runners by winning the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes (G1T), United Nations Stakes (G1T), and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (G1T). A third-place finish in the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) put him in the running for championship honors but he finished a close third by first-place votes there, too, to winner Miesque’s Approval and The Tin Man . No worries because 2007 would be his year with three more grade 1 wins, including a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf and another win in the United Nations in course-record time of 2:12.89 for 1 3/8 miles, which broke the Monmouth Park record he set the previous year. He was the runaway choice for champion turf male with 251 first-place votes. English Channel retired with 13 wins from 23 starts and earned $5,319,028.

US champion, and highly successful sire, English Channel has died. The son of Smart Strike ‘s health rapidly declined over the past 24 hours and while he was under the care of top equine specialists at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, according to Calumet Farm, where the sire stood. He was 19.English Channel was North America’s leading turf sire for 2020 with more than $4.78 million in progeny earnings and five graded stakes winners, including four-time grade 1 winner Channel Maker . The sire currently leads the North American turf sire standings with more than $6.3 million in progeny earnings. His top runner this year is grade 1 winner War Like Goddess , who won the Flower Bowl Stakes (G1T) along with three other graded stakes and most recently was third in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).English Channel made his only start at 2 a winning one, taking a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on the grass at Saratoga Race Course by a length. At 3, he won his first stakes in the Woodlawn Stakes at Pimlico Race Course and became a graded stakes winner in the Virginia Derby (G3T) two races later. English Channel proved he belonged among the elite runners with two seconds in grade 1 stakes that year.Already a millionaire entering his 4-year-old year, he solidified his place among the best turf runners by winning the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes (G1T), United Nations Stakes (G1T), and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes (G1T). A third-place finish in the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) put him in the running for championship honors but he finished a close third by first-place votes there, too, to winner Miesque’s Approval and The Tin Man . No worries because 2007 would be his year with three more grade 1 wins, including a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf and another win in the United Nations in course-record time of 2:12.89 for 1 3/8 miles, which broke the Monmouth Park record he set the previous year. He was the runaway choice for champion turf male with 251 first-place votes. English Channel retired with 13 wins from 23 starts and earned $5,319,028.