2019 is the 30th birthday of US Horse Of The Year A.P. Indy, one of the most influential and important stallions to have stood in North America this century.
A.P. Indy never missed a beat during his career, with the son of Seattle Slew and Weekend Surprise making $2.9 million as a yearling before going on to a career which saw him named US Horse Of The Year and Champion 3YO Colt of 1992 and then becoming an exceptional stallion.
A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy won eight of 11 starts including both the classic Gr1 Belmont Stakes and Gr1 Breeders’ Cup Classic. This was however just a side note to a stud career which established A.P. Indy as the strongest male line conduit of the once dominant Bold Ruler male line.
A.P. Indy, who is an official Chef De Race, was Champion Sire in the US in both 2003 and 2006 and was also Leading Broodmare Sire of 2015.
The best sire son of Triple Crown winner and outstanding stallion Seattle Slew, A.P. Indy left behind more than 150 stakes winners, with his progeny headed by Horse Of The Year Mineshaft, Preakness Stakes winning champion Bernardini and the Gr1 Belmont Stakes winning filly Rags To Riches.
His progeny, which included Gr1 winners, earned in excess of $185 million, with A P Indy runners capturing the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Jockey Club Gold Cup (3 times), Kentucky Oaks (twice), Hopeful Stakes, Champagne Stakes, Travers Stakes, Alabama Stakes (3 times) and the Florida Derby (twice).
Inevitably, the majority of his progeny raced on dirt – although his son Telling enjoyed notable success on turf, where he won the Gr1 Sword Dancer Invitational – twice.
As great a stallion as A.P. Indy was, it is his ongoing influence which makes the pensioned sire such an important name today.
His regally bred son Pulpit, whose offspring is headed by multiple US champion sire Tapit, was a consistently successful sire at a high class level, whose 70 plus stakes winners included the multiple Gr1 winner and successful sire Sky Mesa, and the Gr1 winners Corinthian, Lord Nelson, Purge and Ice Box.
Tapit (Pulpit – Tap Your Heels)
Lightly raced A.P. Indy son Malibu Moon (like Pulpit and Mineshaft produced by a daughter of Mr Prospector) has also become a top class sire, with his 110 plus stakes winners – 15 Gr1 winners – headed by Kentucky Derby winner and Gr1 sire Orb, and champion Declan’s Moon.
A.P. Indy champions Bernardini and Mineshaft have both enjoyed success at stud, with Bernardini’s 15 Gr1 winners including recent Al Maktoum Challenge hero Capezzano and multiple G1 winning sires Alpha, Stay Thirsty and To Honor And Serve. His paternal half-brother Mineshaft is the sire of more than 100 black type performers including Florida Derby and useful sire Dialed In, and fellow Gr1 winners Weep No More, Effinex, Discreetly Mine, Bond Holder and It’s Tricky.
Yet two other sons of A.P. Indy to make their mark are the full-brothers Congrats and Flatter – out of the Mr Prospector mare Praise. Congrats, North America’s Leading First Crop Sire of 2010, is the sire of more than 30 black type winners, including Gr1 winners Emma’s Encore, Turbulent Descent, Wickedly Perfect, and Haveyougoneaway, while the Claiborne Farm based Flatter is responsible for over 50 black type winners including US champion West Coast and dual Jockey Club Gold Cup hero Flat Out.
Judpot (A.P. Indy – Miesque) has produced Equus Champions
Yet another son, the dual Gr1 winning champion Honor Code, is set to have his first 2yo runners in 2019, while in South Africa the A P Indy sons Camden Park and Judpot have both been represented by Equus Champions, with Camden Park’s multiple Gr1 winning son Jay Peg a proven graded stakes producing sire.
The A.P. Indy dynasty seems sure to be around for years to come, with his grandson Tapit – whose 25 Gr1 winners include a trio of Belmont Stakes winners and five Breeders’ Cup winners – appearing well set to become a successful sire of sires in his own right.
Tapit’s son Coup De Grace stands at Klawervlei
Already Tapit’s son Tapizar has produced one champion in the form of Kentucky Oaks/Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Monomoy Girl, and with such top class sons as Frosted, Tapwrit and Tonalist rated as exciting prospects, Tapit – whose multiple graded stakes winning son Coup De Grace has his first yearlings on offer in South Africa this year – should still go from strength to strength as a sire of sires.
Not only is he a well-established sire of sires, A. P. Indy is also broodmare sire of over 190 black type winners with his daughters having produced standout performers like 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Kentucky Oaks winner Plum Pretty, champion and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Game Winner, multiple champion and Breeders’ Cup winner Royal Delta, Preakness Stakes winner Cloud Computing, and such Gr1 winners as Bluegrass Cat, Any Given Saturday, Joking, Imagining, Bolt D’Oro, and Canadian champion Lukes Alley – the latter by now Wilgerbosdrift based sire Flower Alley.
California Chrome – A son of Lucky Pulpit
While A.P. Indy never sired a Kentucky Derby winner, the great sire still managed to make a significant impact on the Run For The Roses, with A.P. Indy son Malibu Moon siring Kentucky Derby winner Orb, Pulpit siring Lucky Pulpit – the sire of 2014 Kentucky Derby hero California Chrome, and A.P. Indy daughter Supercharger producing the above mentioned Super Saver (Maria’s Mon). A.P. Indy daughter Parade Queen is also granddam of Gr1 Arkansas Derby winner Bodemeister – the sire of 2017 Gr1 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming.
A.P. Indy also looks set to make his mark on the US classic races this year, with his daughters Indyan Giving and Rare Event responsible for the Gr1 winners and classic hopes Game Winner (Candy Ride) and Improbable (City Zip) respectively, his son Take Charge Indy sire of recent Rebel Stakes winner Long Range Toddy, and Congrats siring Gr2 Holy Bull Stakes winner Harvey Wallbanger.
Tapit could also feature in this year’s Triple Crown races, with his son Tacitus having recently won the Gr2 Tampa Bay Derby.
The A.P. Indy dynasty looks set for another 30 years!
