Grade 1 Purge winner dies in South Korea at age 24

World traveler and American grade 1 winner Purifywho found perhaps his greatest success as a stallion in South Korea, reportedly died on June 30, according to data from the Korea Racing Authority.

The 24-year-old son of Pulpit went to the Vinery stud farm near Lexington in 2006, where he remained until 2011 when he was sent to Vinery’s New York facility. It was in New York for a year and then sold to Jade Brothers Farm in the Philippines. Purge appears to have been in the Philippines for five years and then exported to Korea in January 2017, according to KRA.

In Korea, Purge was one of the country’s top 10 leading sires in 2023-2025, rising to the fourth leading sire in 2024. He would go on to produce two Korean champions: Succes Baekpa, who won the 2024 Korean Triple Crown and was named Champion 3-Year-Old Colt, and Choegang Black, who was named Champion 3-Year-Old Filly for 2021. He was also the sire of Clean Up Joy, who won 15 of 32 starts and earned more than $1.3 million.

Purge raced 2-4 for trainer Todd Pletcher and Starlight Racing, who purchased him for $180,000 at the 2002 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt was out of Copelan stakes winner Copelan’s Bid Gal, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes winner and sire Valid Wager (Valid Appeal).

After winning his debut at age 2, Purge won the Peter Pan Stakes (G2) and Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at age 3, and at age 4 won the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) after finishing third in the Meadowlands Breeders’ Cup Stakes (G2) and Philip H. Iselin Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G3). He retired with a 6-1-2 record from 15 starts and earned $905,434.

As a stallion, Purge produced 257 winners, including 12 black stakes type winners and another 15 stakes type winners. His descendants have earned more than $17.6 million to date.

Purge’s top North American runners were seeded in Grade 3 Macias who won the Eddie Logan Stakes and Jack Goodman Stakes on the grass Santa Anita Park in 2009 and won the Baffle Stakes in 2010; Extensive who won the 2011 Sophomore Turf Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and later placed third in the Del Mar Derby (G2T) and Sunset Handicap (G3T); and twelve-time winner He’s so good who finished second in the 2012 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2).

Outside Korea, Purge produced multiple Venezuelan Group 1 winner Dixie Emperor and Outskirt Lady, who was named champion imported 3-year-old filly in Panama in 2010.