Broodmare Liable, dam of champion Blame, dies at age 29

Liable, the 2010 Kentucky broodmare of the year best known for producing Eclipse award champion and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame, died on July 19 from the infirmities of old age.

The 29-year-old daughter of Seeking the Gold was a homebred for Claiborne Farm, in partnership with Nicole Perry Gorman, out of the Grade 1-placed Nijinsky II mare Bound, who herself was bred by and raced for Claiborne. Adele Dilschneider assumed Gorman’s place in the partnership before Liable’s racing career.

Trained by Frank Brothers, Liable won six of 15 starts during her racing career from 1998 to 1999. Though she never earned a stakes victory, Liable picked up allowance wins at Churchill Downs, Keeneland and Fair Grounds, and she finished in the money in the A.P. Indy Stakes at Keeneland and the Wild Flower Stakes at Lone Star Park.

Liable retired to Claiborne Farm for her broodmare career, where she produced five winners from six foals. All of Liable’s foals began their racing careers as homebreds for Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider.

Her most successful runner was Blame, a son of the late Claiborne stallion Arch, who earned the Eclipse award for champion older male in 2010 during a campaign highlighted by a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. Blame won nine of 13 races and earned over $4.3 million, with other Grade 1 victories in the Whitney Handicap and Stephen Foster Stakes.

Blame now resides as a stallion at Claiborne Farm, where he has sired six Grade 1 winners and is the broodmare sire of 2022 champion 2-year-old colt Forte as well as 2024 graded-group stakes winners Switzerland, by Speightstown; Honor D Lady, by Honor Code; and Tiny Temper, by Arrogate.

Liable earned Kentucky broodmare of the year honors in 2010 on the strength of Blame’s season, but she continued her success the following year with Tend, a son of Dynaformer who won a pair of stakes races during that campaign.

Liable’s fillies have carried on her name in the stud book, led by Apt. The daughter of A.P. Indy produced three stakes winners: Grade 3-winning millionaire Carve and Grade 1-placed stakes winner Apropos by Claiborne Farm stallion First Samurai and Group 2-placed stakes winner Sloane Avenue, by Candy Ride.

Claiborne’s broodmare band currently includes Liable’s daughter Might, a full-sister to Blame, who produced a War of Will filly in 2024.

Liable will be buried in Claiborne Farm’s Marchmont Cemetery.