Breeders' Cup Classic winner Pleasantly Perfect dead at 22

Pleasantly Perfect, the 2003 Breeders' Cup Classic winner and longtime stallion, has died in Turkey of natural causes at the age of 22.

Thoroughbred Daily News first reported the passing of Pleasantly Perfect, who in four seasons on the track won nine of 18 starts -- which also includes the 2004 Dubai World Cup -- and earned $7,789,880 for Gerald Ford's Diamond A Racing Corp. He was retired to Lane's End Farm, where he sired 10 U.S. crops that included 18 stakes winners. Among his most notable progeny are 2010 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Shared Account and Grade 1 winner Whitmore.

Pleasantly Perfect was sent to Turkey in late 2014.

By Pleasant Colony out of the Affirmed mare Regal State, Pleasantly Perfect was a $725,000 purchase at the 1999 Keeneland September yearling sale. Sent to Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella in southern California, Pleasantly Perfect was a late developer as his first seven starts came in the maiden/allowance ranks before stepping up in late summer of his 3-year-old season to be fourth in the 2002 Pacific Classic (G1). 

In his next start, Pleasantly Perfect won his first of two Goodwood Handicaps (G2) at Santa Anita to put the racing world on notice. He went on the following season to start a four-race win streak that included victories in the Goodwood, Breeders' Cup Classic, San Antonio (G2) and the Dubai World Cup in a thriller over Medaglia d'Oro. 

Pleasantly Perfect's upset victory in the 2003 Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita also capped a historic four-win day for Mandella, who earlier on the card had won the Juvenile with Action This Day, Juvenile Fillies with Halfbridled and Turf with Johar via a dead heat.