Top Maryland sire Not for Love dies
Photo by Northview Stallion Station.
Staff report
Not For Love, Maryland’s 13-time leading sire, has been euthanized because of complications from colic, the Blood-Horse reports. The 26-year-old son of Mr. Prospector had been pensioned in 2015 and remained at the farm where he stood stud, Northview Stallion Station in Chesapeake City, Md.
“Not For Love will set the bar in Maryland for all stallions standing there in the future,” said Northview’s owner, Richard Golden, when he announced the horse’s retirement last March.
Not For Love, out of the Northern Dancer mare Dance Number, was purchased as a 5-year-old by Golden from breeder Ogden Mills Phipps. A stakes-placed runner initially trained by Shug McGaughey, Not For Love was transferred to the barn of H. Graham Motion and through a career that spanned four seasons, from 2 to 5, he made 29 starts, won six races and earned $178,870.
A full brother to champion 2-year-old Rhythm and graded stakes winner Get Lucky, granddam of Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, he represents a tremendous stallion family descending from the famed *La Troienne. His second dam was champion 2-year-old filly Numbered Account.
The bay stallion entered stud at Northview Stallion Station in 1996 and made his mark with his first crop, which included the $2 million juvenile La Salle Street, who equaled the record for a 2-year-old sold at public auction in 1999. Curiously enough, though Not for Love made his mark with durable, hard-hitting runners, La Salle Street was winless in three career starts.
Not For Love has sired at least one stakes winner in each of his first 17 crops to race, and 79 stakes winners total. His runners have earned in excess of $68.6 million, topped by millionaire son Eighttofasttocatch.
Two of his offspring won stakes in 2015, when he once again led all Maryland sires by progeny earnings. And though none of his runners has won a stake so far in 2016, he nevertheless leads all Maryland sires in progeny wins (27) and earnings ($790,175).
An incredible 80 percent of his foals of racing age have started, 80 percent have won and the average earnings per starter is more than $91,000. He was the leading North American sire standing outside of Kentucky for eight consecutive years. He leads all Maryland sires by lifetime progeny earnings, lifetime juvenile earnings and is the all-time leading sire by Maryland Million wins, his offspring having won 34 Maryland Million races, including the featured Classic six times, three won by Eighttofasttocatch. Three times he had as many as four winners on the Maryland Million Day card.
In 2015, two of Not for Love’s offpsring won Maryland Million races. In addition, Maryland Million Sprint winner Jack’s in the Deck is by Love of Money — a son of Not for Love carrying on the family bloodlines.
In 2014, Not For Love made headlines as the broodmare sire of California Chrome, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and the 2014 Eclipse Award-winning Horse of the Year.
