FLYING PIDGEON 1981 - 2008

Dec. 5, 2008:  This morning the people of Old Friends said farewell to a dear friend,
millionaire Flying Pidgeon.  Flying Pidgeon, winner of the Grade One Hollywood
Invitational and member of the Calder Hall of Fame, was humanely euthanized this morning at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement in Georgetown, Kentucky due to the infirmaties of old age.  The 27-year-old son of Upper Case out of Miss Minnesota was retired to Old Friends by Jane White and the Flying Pidgeon Syndicate in October, 2006.

Flying Pidgeon won or placed 23 stakes, 18 of them graded, in 56 lifetime starts
and earned $1,154,337.

"Yesterday, Flying Pidgeon was resting in the late afternoon sun," said Old Friends founder, Michael Blowen. "When we went to put him up for the night, he wouldn't get up. Within minutes, Dr. Doug Byars was here administering steroids to help the old guy. By this morning it was clear that Pidge was telling us it was his time."                            

A ceremony in his honor will take place at Old Friends next spring

FLYING PIDGEON 1981 b, h by Upper Case— Miss Minnesota by Minnesota Mac Lifetime: 56 Starts,12 Wins

History:  MILLIONAIRE FLYING PIDGEON, winner of the G1 Hollywood Invitational H,  Florida turf champion and member of the Calder Hall of Fame,  has retired to Old Friends in Georgetown, KY, where he will be happy to greet his many fans.  

Flying Pidgeon went on to win or place in 23 stakes, 18 of them graded, in 56 lifetime starts to age 6, establishing a new course record at 1-1/2 miles T in  2:25 4/5 along the way.  His illustrious career included wins in the G2 W.L. McKnight H twice, G2 Bougainvillea H twice, and placings in the G1 Arlington Million, Bowling Green H, Hialeah Turf Cup, Pan American H, and Sunset H.  He defeated such outstanding runners as Crème Fraiche,  Dahar and Strawberry Road.  The Flying Pidgeon Handicap is run in his honor at Calder every year. 

 

Flying Pidgeon is the sire of 13 stakes horses including graded winners Dancing Rhythm and Hebreo Japones (G1 in D.R.), graded placed stakes winners Flying American ($374,502) and Pidgeon’s Promise ($200,219), and 2yo stakes winners Air Mike and Flying to Maketime.  He moved to Pennsylvania in 1998 from Florida and stood his final 2006 season at C & R Horse Farm in Milmay, NJ.  He is the sire of two stakes placed runners in 2006: Joey Blueeyes ($193,213 to August, 2006) and Cameron Be Good ($82,255 to August, 2006).  

 

Flying Pidgeon’s young daughters are proving to be excellent broodmares: many have produced stakes winners from starters to date including 2 year old SW No Beans, graded placed SW Sigfreto ($526,330 to August, 2006) and 2006 SW winner Diggy Fresh. 

 

Flying Pidgeon, son of Florida Derby and Wood Memorial stakes winner Upper Case out of the Minnesota Mac winning mare Miss Minnesota, owns a pedigree sporting the blood of some of the greatest racehorses of all time: Round Table, Bold Ruler, Rough’n Tumble, and Gallant Man.