BONSALL, CA—MAY 27, 2013—In Excess (TB), an Irish-bred son of Siberian Express who became one of the most dominant Thoroughbred sires in California, as well as an AQHA Racing Champion sire died May 17 at Vessels Stallion Farm at 26.

Pensioned in 2011, he died from old age infirmities, according to a press release posted on the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association website.

"He was an old man and he’s in a better place," said Vessels farm manager Kevin Dickson. "The last couple of weeks, he just didn’t look like himself."

In Excess was buried on the farm near other late Vessels stallions, including all-time leading Quarter Horse sire First Down Dash and multiple graded stakes winner and third place Kentucky Derby(gr.I) finisher Free House, Dickson said.

A four-time grade I winner on the track, In Excess went on to sire 18 Thoroughbred crops with earnings of more than $44 million, including 56 black-type winners such as Musical Chimes, Romance is Diane, Excessivepleasure, Above Perfection, and future stallions Indian Charlie and Notional.

As a Quarter Horse sire he sired seven starters, five winners (71%), 2 stakes horses (28%) and 1 champion with average earnings per starter of $35,707. His get included 1999 Champion Distance Horse Hateful Hanna SI 105 (7 wins, $139,487), G3 placed Especially Excessful SI 95 (2 wins, $23,752), G3 finalist I Like It Already (10 wins, $60,073), G3 finalist Breanna Moon (2 wins, $18,615), etc.

Bred in Ireland by Ahmed Foustok, In Excess’ career began on the grass in England, but his biggest wins were on dirt tracks in New York, where he captured the Suburban, Metropolitan, Woodward, and Whitney handicaps (all gr. I) consecutively in 1991. He earned more than $1.7 million, with 11 wins in 25 starts.

"He was basically dropped off at our front door when Mike Pegram went to Kentucky to try and organize for him to stand at stud there," Scoop Vessels, the late owner of the farm, said in 2003 when explaining how In Excess and Vessels Stallion Farm connected.

"When In Excess got off the trailer, I fell in love with him. For some reason, I just knew this was the horse for us, so I immediately made a deal over the phone with Mike to purchase half of him."