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.