Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem, famous on the track and off for his strong will, has died at age 21. War Emblem was found dead early Wednesday morning at the Old Friends Thoroughbred retirement facility in Georgetown, Ky., where he had been pensioned since 2015. A fatal paddock accident is suspected, but a full necropsy report is pending. :: DRF BREEDING LIVE: Real-time coverage of breeding and sales War Emblem spent his entire stud career in Japan after being sold to the Yoshida family to stand at its Shadai Stallion Station beginning with the 2003 season. However, War Emblem famously proved a finicky breeder, with his interest in mares waxing and waning, and eventually flatlining for good, even though he was fertile. After attempts to revive his career, he was eventually re-patriated to Old Friends, where his disinterest in mares continued to follow him. Import regulations require incoming stallions, even pensioners, to test-breed two mares to determine if they carry contagious equine metritis, a bacteria mainly spread through semen that has been largely eradicated in the U.S. but can be hard to detect and control if an outbreak occurs. After spending a month in quarantine and refusing to cover even a single mare, War Emblem was gelded, an unorthodox move for an older stallion. He was able to live out the rest of his life in comfort - albeit, with fans keeping a respectful distance. "We're very grateful to Mr. Yoshida and all of the fans who helped get War Emblem to Old Friends nearly five years ago," Old Friends founder Michael Blowen said in a release. "I know we're supposed to appreciate all of our retirees the same but he was one of the very special ones. He was tough, narcissistic, bold, and handsome. I adored him. "I proudly count among a very meager number of accomplishments the day he allowed me to put his halter on without biting me. He trusted me. What more could I ask for? The farm will recover from his loss over time, but it'll never be the same." War Emblem, a son of Our Emblem, was bred by Charles Nuckols Jr. and Sons in Kentucky, and was originally campaigned by Russell Reineman and trainer Frank Springer. He won four of his first seven starts, including a 6 1/4-length victory in the Illinois Derby. The near-black colt was then privately purchased by Prince Ahmed bin Salman's Thoroughbred Corp. for a reported $900,000 and transferred to Bob Baffert's barn in order to target the 2002 Kentucky Derby. War Emblem, whom Baffert shortly nicknamed “Hannibal Lecter,” won the Derby by four lengths in front-running fashion. "You can never lower your guard with this horse," Baffert told the Los Angeles Times in that spring of 2002. "And if he knows you’re scared, he’ll really take a shot." :: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Two weeks later, War Emblem, with a target on his back, prevailed by three-quarters of a length in the Preakness Stakes. However, bidding for the Triple Crown, he stumbled badly at the start of the Belmont Stakes, became rank, and was never seriously involved after that, finishing eighth. War Emblem bounced back to win the Haskell Invitational, but was sixth in the Pacific Classic and eighth in the Breeders' Cup Classic. He concluded his career with a record of seven wins from 13 starts and earnings of more than $3.4 million, and was voted the Eclipse Award champion 3-year-old male of 2002. War Emblem proved a solid stallion, which made his disinterest in breeding, despite changes in his environment and therapy led by stallion behavior specialists, all the more frustrating. From 120 foals in seven crops - there were several years when the stallion did not breed a single mare - 111 made it to the races, with 82 winners. That strike rate was 74 percent winners from starters. For comparison's sake, although the markets operate differently, reigning U.S. leading general sire Into Mischief holds a career rate of 72 percent, and perennial leading sire Tapit, another gold standard of stallion success, sits at 75 percent, showing that War Emblem's figures were respectable. From his limited sample, War Emblem was represented by 10 stakes winners and another nine stakes-placed runners. The best of those was Robe Tissage, Japan's champion 2-year-old filly of 2012, when he won the Group 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. She went on to win the Group 3 Keeneland Cup in 2014 and to place in four other group stakes. War Emblem also sired Group 3 winners King's Emblem and War Tactics.