One of the stallions of Breakway Farm Lord of Heaven died suddenly on August 9 of a “catastrophic acute cardiac event,” the Indiana farm reported on August 13.

“He took us on an unforgettable adventure in the breeding world and we met several of our valued customers and friends through him,” the farm wrote on Facebook. “We were so proud of Skylord and all he accomplished. The farm is not the same without him and his big personality. Skylord will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. We are grateful for our time with him and will cherish the memories forever.”

The 16-year-old son of Sky Mesa was bred in Kentucky by Visionary Racing out of the marquetry mare Skyscape. Skylord was a half-brother to the 2008 La Jolla Handicap (G2T) winner Sky Cape and stakes-placed winners KO Love and Reality Show when he was sold to Maverick Racing, WinStar Farm’s racing operation, for $515,000 at the 2010 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale. He won his racing debut at 2 for WinStar and trainer Todd Pletcher and was then offered for sale again at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where Windridge Farm purchased him for $75,000. The stallion picked up one more win and a show finish before being retired in 2011.

Breakway Farm, owned by Janice and Scott Jordan, acquired Skylord and launched his breeding career in 2012. His appeal to Indiana breeders grew as his dam expanded her resume as a broodmare, adding the Grade 2 stakes winner Sunny skies (Wildlife ) and 2021 Canadian Champion older Dirt female Skyview (American Pharaoh ) to Skylord’s list of half-siblings.

Skylord became the leading Indiana sire of 2015, thanks largely to the performance of his neutered son Double tuff who was victorious in his second career start and finished second in the Indiana Futurity. Double Tuff won three black-type races, including consecutive editions of the William Henry Harrison Stakes in 2019-20 at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Skylord rose to the top 10 of Indiana’s leading sires in 2020 and has remained there. To date, he has sired 42 winners who have been successful on dirt and turf, with some of his best runners including stakes winners It’s just fate And Dillsboro Devil along with stakes-placed winners Solar Power, Don’t Ask Kinmon and Running Strait.

The last published fee was $2,500, and Skylord’s progeny earned an average of $52,153 per runner. Together, the sire’s progeny have earned more than $3.65 million.