Juvenile champ, Preakness winner Timber Country dead at 24

Timber Country, the 1994 champion juvenile colt who returned the following year to capture the Preakness (G1) in what proved to be his final start, died this week in Japan at the age of 24. The Louisville Courier-Journal reported the death Wednesday.

Trained by D. Wayne Lukas for owners Overbrook Farm, Gainesway Stable, and Bob & Beverly Lewis, Timber Country won the juvenile title with victories in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Churchill Downs, Champagne (G1) at Belmont Park, and Balboa (G3) at Del Mar. In two other stakes appearances at two, Timber Country finished third in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and sixth in the Bashford Manor (G3) at Churchill.

Timber Country opened his three-year-old campaign finishing third in the San Rafael (G2), second in the San Felipe (G2), and fourth in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Nonetheless, he was part of an entry with the champion filly Serena's Song that started as the 3-1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

Though Serena's Song finished up the track, Timber Country turned in a strong, late rally from 13th to finish third behind Thunder Gulch, another Lukas trainee. Two weeks later in the Preakness, Timber Country was favored at odds of 19-10 over Thunder Gulch and spoiled that rival's Triple Crown bid with a half-length victory over Oliver's Twist.