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REILLY'S PEERAGE SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 A.P. Saratoga One of my favorite things about horse racing is the fact that today's runners descend from the great horses of the past -- not only sepia-toned legends of long ago, but flesh-and-blood champions in our own living memory. A few years after cheering our favorites on the track, we have an opportunity to cheer on their offspring. In this way, a fan's connection with a favorite racehorse can be continually renewed, especially if that horse turns out to be an exceptional stallion. Case in point: the just-concluded Saratoga season was a showcase for the pervasive influence of A.P. Indy, the Horse of the Year of 1992 and a Hall of Fame inductee in 2000. Male-line descendants of A.P. Indy, led by Stay Thirsty, swept the top three spots in the Travers S. (G1). Granddaughters of A.P. Indy provided the trifecta in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and the exacta in the Alabama S. (G1). And those are just the biggest attention-grabbers of the meet. A.P. Indy, although best known as a factor for stamina on the dirt, also made his presence felt in the Spa's sprints and turf races too. The enduring success of the A.P. Indy bloodline is a fine example of why Thoroughbred pedigrees can be fun for the casual fan to explore. Like an ancient archaeological dig, you can take the time to go layer by layer through the generations, discovering along the way, and calling a halt when you've gone deep enough. For some, that might be just a generation or two; others might want to keep digging down to bedrock, to the foundation of the breed centuries ago. A.P. Indy is a good starting point for pedigree newcomers because he was royally bred himself. His sire, Seattle Slew, captured the Triple Crown in 1977. His dam, Weekend Surprise, was a daughter of 1973 Triple Crown legend Secretariat. Two years before she foaled A.P. Indy, Weekend Surprise produced Summer Squall, winner of the 1990 Preakness S. (G1). With a blueblood pedigree like that, and a physique to match, it's no wonder that A.P. Indy commanded $2.9 million at the Keeneland July Sale, garnering the top price for a yearling in 1990. Many glitzy yearlings fail to pan out as racing prospects, but A.P. Indy was a shining exception. Trained by Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale, known for his patience and caution in bringing youngsters along, A.P. Indy finished fourth in his career debut. He learned from that experience and won impressively next time, beginning a streak that would eventually extend to seven in a row. A.P. Indy emerged as a leading contender for the 1992 Triple Crown, following victories in the Hollywood Futurity (G1), San Rafael S. (G2) and Santa Anita Derby (G1). Unfortunately, he suffered a bruised hoof and had to be withdrawn on the morning of the Kentucky Derby (G1), a bitter disappointment that I remember well. Gone was the opportunity to emulate his sire Seattle Slew and his maternal grandsire Secretariat in the Triple Crown. Instead, A.P. Indy's misfortune was reminiscent of another ancestor, from a different segment of his pedigree. His great-grandsire Buckpasser probably had the 1966 Triple Crown at his mercy, but missed all three classics because of a quarter-crack in his right front hoof. At least A.P. Indy was able to return to action sooner than Buckpasser did. Drysdale decided to skip the Preakness, but A.P. Indy was ready in time for the Peter Pan S. (G2), a prep for the Belmont S. (G1). Right back to his best, A.P. Indy romped by 5 1/2 lengths in the Peter Pan. He then powered to a three-quarter length decision in the Belmont, tying for the second-fastest time (2:26) in the 1 1/2-mile race's history. Only Secretariat had run faster (2:24). Freshened in advance of a fall campaign, A.P. Indy was a flat fifth, perhaps not totally fit, in his comeback in the Molson Million (Can-G2). Next time out in the Jockey Club Gold Cup S. (G1), he was badly hampered at the start, ripping off a shoe in the process, but thankfully not hurting his foot. In the circumstances, his third-place finish was creditable. A.P. Indy put his bad luck behind him in his grand finale in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). Rallying to a two-length score, he clinched the champion three-year-old male title and Horse of the Year. Retired to stud at his birthplace, Lane's End near Versailles, Kentucky, A.P. Indy transmitted his quality to his sons and daughters. One of the stars of his very first crop was Pulpit, hero of the 1997 Fountain of Youth S. (G2) and Blue Grass S. (G2) and fourth in that year's Kentucky Derby. A.P. Indy's later sons include Mineshaft, the Horse of the Year of 2003, and Bernardini, the champion three-year-old colt of 2006. Bernardini is likewise off to a fast start at stud, with top three-year-old Stay Thirsty his best advertisement so far. At Saratoga this summer, Stay Thirsty completed the Jim Dandy (G2)/Travers double that Bernardini achieved in his championship season, and furthered his bid for an Eclipse Award. Chasing Stay Thirsty home in the 1 1/4-mile Travers were two other A.P. Indy descendants, both grandsons of Pulpit. Travers runner-up Rattlesnake Bridge is by Pulpit's son Tapit, while third-placer J W Blue is by Pulpit's son Sky Mesa. Another Bernardini colt, To Honor and Serve, demolished older horses going 1 1/8 miles on Travers Eve. One of the leading juveniles of 2010, To Honor and Serve was sidelined by a suspensory injury this spring. If he didn't have to play catch-up off that setback, he would certainly have been contesting the Travers. A.P. Indy had a similar stranglehold on Saratoga's premier two-turn events for three-year-old fillies. In the Coaching Club American Oaks, Mineshaft's daughter It's Tricky scored a hard-fought win over Plum Pretty, who is out of an A.P. Indy mare. Royal Delta, out of A.P. Indy's multiple Grade 3-winning daughter Delta Princess, was a distant third in the CCA Oaks, but turned the tables convincingly in the Alabama. Relishing every yard of the 1 1/4-mile distance, Royal Delta bolted 5 1/2 lengths clear of fellow A.P. Indy granddaughter It's Tricky. Major route races for older horses also had an A.P. Indy flavor. The six-year-old mare Ask the Moon, by A.P. Indy's son Malibu Moon, won both of the meet's Grade 1 races for distance-lovers in her division. She first crushed the 1 1/8-mile Ruffian Invitational H., then returned to annex the 1 1/4-mile Personal Ensign Invitational S. over Pulpit's daughter Pachattack. The five-year-old male Flat Out, by A.P. Indy's son Flatter, finished second in a pair of prestigious 1 1/8-mile contests -- the Whitney Invitational H. (G1) and Woodward S. (G1). While only a minor event, the 1 1/8-mile Proud Spell S. was dominated by the A.P. Indy tribe. A.P. Indy sired the 6 3/4-length winner, Love and Pride, who is a close relative of Bernardini. The runner-up and third-place finishers were by Tapit and Bernardini, respectively. The tale was the same in a couple of 1 1/8-mile stakes restricted to New York-breds: Mineshaft's daughter Mineralogist landed the Saratoga Dew S., and Icabad Crane, by A.P. Indy's son Jump Start, scored in the Evan Shipman S. But like other monumental sires, A.P. Indy's influence is not limited to one particular type of horse. His hoofprint was discernible in Saratoga's one-turn races as well. Turbulent Descent, an effortless winner of the seven-furlong Test S. (G1), is by A.P. Indy's son Congrats. The meet's other graded stakes for sophomore fillies, the six-furlong Victory Ride S. (G3), went to Malibu Moon's daughter Hot Summer. The three-year-old colt Buffum, by Bernardini, romped by 10 lengths in a seven-furlong allowance, and is sure to return to stakes company next. Among older sprinters, Flatter's hard-knocking daughter Tar Heel Mom rolled in the Honorable Miss H. (G2) and took second in the Ballerina S. (G1). Tapit's well-regarded son Trappe Shot missed by a nose in the six-furlong Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. (G1). A.P. Indy's son Telling wasn't around to go for a three-peat in the Sword Dancer Invitational S. (G1) on turf, but the veteran sire's genes were on display in other grass tests. A.P. Indy mares were responsible for Hungry Island, heroine of the Lake Placid S. (G2); Seal Cove, winner of the Gleaming S.; and Optimizer, runner-up in the With Anticipation S. (G2) for juveniles. Tapit's daughter Tapitsfly was runner-up in both the Ballston Spa S. (G2) and De La Rose S., beaten in the latter by Trix in the City, by the A.P. Indy stallion Friends Lake. Although A.P. Indy's progeny usually improve with age, his sons and grandsons at stud are already making an impact with their juveniles. Half of the 10-horse field in the Hopeful S. (G1) had A.P. Indy in their pedigrees, topped by the winner Currency Swap and third-placer Big Blue Nation. The A.P. Indy connection was less pronounced in the companion Spinaway S. (G1) for two-year-old fillies. Nevertheless, the promising And Why Not, out of an A.P. Indy mare, recovered from a slow start to get up for third. Saratoga's maiden races are famous for unveiling future stars, and a few two-year-old descendants of A.P. Indy turned heads. The Bernardini colt Alpha romped in his debut, while the Bernardini filly Spare Change rolled in her second try. The Pulpit colt El Padrino was an eye-catching second after a troubled trip first time out, and touted himself as one to follow. Giant Surprise, out of an A.P. Indy mare, created a big impression in his debut win, only to sustain a likely career-ending injury. A.P. Indy, who was pensioned from stud duty in April, has the makings of a permanent influence on the breed. His sire line is already assuming dynastic proportions, and his daughters are producing such promising young sires as High Cotton (the sire of Currency Swap), Bluegrass Cat and Any Given Saturday. The time is rapidly approaching when descendants of various strains of A.P. Indy are bred to each other, multiplying his presence in pedigrees. These inbreeding techniques have been employed from time immemorial. A.P. Indy is himself inbred to pre-eminent ancestors like Hall of Famer Bold Ruler, the Horse of the Year in an all-star 1957 season, and *Princequillo, a top handicapper during the World War II era at Saratoga. Bold Ruler, famed for his high speed, and Princequillo, renowned for his stamina, are themselves links in pedigree chains that stretch deep into history. A.P. Indy has done his part to preserve this priceless heritage, forging links of his own into the foreseeable future. It will be up to his descendants -- including those we've just watched at Saratoga -- to keep the chain going.
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