A.P. Indy
US champion sire A P Indy (Seattle Slew) retired from stud duties in 2011 with the reputation of being a truly outstanding stallion, writes Sarah Whitelaw.
Twice top of the league in N-America, A P Indy’s final tally of stakes winners was 156 (of which 29 were Gr1 winners), while his daughters (so far) have produced more than 140 stakes winners, including Gr1 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver (Maria’s Mon).
As a sire of sires, A P Indy’s Gr1 legacy endures through Bernardini, Congrats, Flatter, Indygo Shiner, Judpot, Jump Start, Malibu Moon, Mineshaft, Pulpit, and Old Trieste. The latter sired Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Silver Train and Gr1 performers Sinister Minister and Minister Eric in an all too short stud career. Old Trieste is also damsire of 2017 classic hope and last year’s Gr1 winning 2yo Mastery (Candy Ride).
The A P Indy male line looks secure thanks to US Champion sire Tapit (Pulpit) and Dialed In (Mineshaft), North America’s Leading First Crop Sire of 2016, among others. A P Indy could also be found in the pedigrees of five of the top ten leading first crop sires in the US last year. There’s more to come: California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), Frosted (Tapit), and Orb (Malibu Moon).
So who would be the flag bearer among A P Indy’s sons?
Tapit
Pulpit, who died in 2012, sired more than 70 individual stakes winners, with 12 individual G1 winners, most notably triple US champion sire Tapit.
Another son of Pulpit, Sky Mesa, sired more than 50 stakes winners, while Pulpit’s now deceased son, Lucky Pulpit, is the sire of dual Horse Of The Year California Chrome, who stands his first season at stud in 2017. Pulpit, who spent his entire stud career at Claiborne, had an AEI of 1.84.
Bernardini and Mineshaft, perhaps A P Indy’s two best sons on the track, both enjoyed considerable success at stud. Bernardini sired 13 individual Gr1 winners, including three in Australasia. He also has sons at stud, and G1 winning Stay Thirsty ended 2016 as the 10th leading first crop sire in North America.
Bernardini
However, Bernardini’s record of 4% stakes winners to foals could be described as a little disappointing, taking into account the outstanding quality of his mates (which include champions Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra).
In contrast, Mineshaft (Horse Of The Year in North America in 2003) has been a consistent sire of high class stakes winners – 5% of his foals are black type winners. His tally of Gr1 winners lags behind that of Bernardini (he has six, less than half of Bernardini’s total). Even so, Mineshaft, as sire of Dialed In and fellow G1 winners Discreetly Mine, Effinex, Weep No More and It’s Tricky, has an AEI of 1.88 – versus Bernardini’s AEI of 1.55.
Marchfield (A P Indy – Pico Teneriffe)
In contrast to Bernardini and Mineshaft, the lightly raced Malibu Moon did not begin his stud career with the support of only high quality mares.
He started at a fee of $3k, which has now risen to $75k. His ten Gr1 winners include Kentucky Derby winner (and now Claiborne sire) Orb. This tally may well increase considerably in the future, with Malibu Moon now covering a considerably better class of mare. His 6% winners to foals is higher than that of Mineshaft or Bernardini, who both covered top mares throughout their careers. Malibu Moon’s AEI currently stands at 1.73.
Full brothers Congrats (a leading First Crop Sire in the US) and Flatter both enjoyed some success at stud. Congrats’ offspring includes 2016 Gr1 winner Haveyougoneaway, but his stats show a below average 3% stakes winners to foals. Flatter sired Gr1 winners Flat Out, Paola Queen and Taris among his 5% stakes winners to foals.
It is interesting to note that all of Congrats, Flatter, Malibu Moon, Mineshaft and Pulpit are out of Mr Prospector mares, while Bernardini’s dam is by Quiet American (a grandson of Mr P.). A P Indy’s sire Seattle Slew and Mr Prospector have the same bottom female line, tracing to Myrtlewood, who is the 4th dam of Mr P and 5th dam of Seattle Slew – the latter’s dam Fair Charmer has a double of Myrtlewood’s dam Frizeur. This also the remote female line of stallions Tourbillon, Djeddah, Darshaan, Elusive Quality, Sing Sing and Contraband.
Judpot (A.P. Indy – Miesque)
A P Indy can be found in South African pedigrees through A P Answer (recently deceased), Camden Park (deceased), Gr1 producing Judpot, freshman sire Marchfield, Just As Well and Tapit’s son Coup de Grace who stood his first season in 2016.
Camden Park sired SA Champion and subsequent sire Jay Peg, whose dam is by Al Mufti – son of Lassie Dear and thus half brother to the dam of A P Indy.
Lassie Dear is well represented in the South African sire population not only through A P Indy, but also through Duke Of Marmalade, Mambo In Seattle and Al Mufti carriers Bold Silvano, Captain Al & son Captain Of All, Divine Jet, The Sheik. Lassie Dear and her female line’s local influence makes for a story all on its own.
