EDWARD P. EVANS

Prominent owner-breeder Edward P. Evan, died Friday at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York at the age of 68. Evans, a member of the Jockey Club and the son of the late Thomas Mellon Evans, of Buckland Farm fame, operated Spring Hill Farm in Casanova, Virginia. Evans purchased the 2,800 acres of Spring Hill starting in 1969.

The former chairman of Macmillan Publishing, Evans bred more than 100 stakes winners over the past four decades including 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam. Homebreds he raced under his own colors included Irish champion filly Minstrella and Grade 1 winners Gygistar, Raging Fever, Summer Colony, Cat Moves, Christmas Gift and Malibu Prayer.

Arguably the best horse to race in Evans' yellow and black colors was Quality Road, the recently retired earner of more than $2.2 million. Among the leading performers of his crop at ages three and four, Quality Road captured the Florida Derby Gr.I, Fountain of Youth S. Gr.II and Amsterdam S. Gr.II in 2009, and the Woodward S. Gr.I, Metropolitan H. Gr.I, Donn H. Gr.I and Hal's Hope S. Gr.III in 2010. Quality Road also placed in the Whitney H. Gr.I, Jockey Club Gold Cup Gr.I and Travers S. Gr.I , but ended his career on a sour note when trailing a field of 12 in the Breeders' Cup Classic Gr.I in November.

Much of Evans’ early success as a breeder stemmed from foundation mare Flight Dancer, the dam of Grade 2 stakes winner Misty Gallore who later produced successful sire Silver Ghost,and 1986 champion Irish two-year-old filly Minstrella.

Minstrella as a broodmare at Spring Hill Farm.

Minstrella, a daughter of The Minstrel who carried Evans' colors to victory in the Phoenix Stakes and Moyglare Stud Stakes, in which she turned the tables on her Cherry Hinton Stakes conqueror, Forest Flower, by a head.

Minstrella went on to produce 11 winners for Evans including Grade 3 winner Minidar, the dam of A Little Warm who captured the Jim Dandy S. Gr.II and placed in the Pennsylvania Derby Gr.II , Louisiana Derby Gr.II and Hutcheson S. Gr.II.

Honored six times as the breeder of the year in Virginia, Evans was also selected as national breeder of the year by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association in 2009.

Shortly before his death, Evans donated $50 million to fund a new facility for the Yale School of Management at his alma mater, where he graduated in 1964.

“We will miss the man first and the sportsman second,” said Spring Hill manager Chris Baker. “I will miss him personally and the sport will really miss him. He was one of a kind the way he went about his business.”

Funeral services for Evans will be private.