AMERICAN GRADED STAKES STANDINGS brought to you by Keeneland - IT’S A.P. INDY’S WORLD…
By Ray Paulick
In the sale ring, on the racetrack and in the breeding shed, A.P. Indy has been a star. The son of Seattle Slew topped the 1990 Keeneland July yearling sale when he sold for $2.9 million. He was the champion 3-year-old and Horse of the Year in 1992, his victories including the Belmont Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic. He’s been leading sire in North America on two occasions—2003 and 2006—and he has sired the winners of 10 or more Graded/Group stakes races in eight of the 14 years he’s had runners on the track.
Furthermore, A.P. Indy has developed into a leading sire of sires, with eight sons ranking in the top 100 on bloodhorse.com’s leading sires by North American earnings for 2009. One of those sons, Pulpit, has two of his own sons on the list, Tapit and Sky Mesa. So, including A.P. Indy, his sons and his grandsons, 11 of the top 100 positions by North American earnings trace to this horse sired by a Triple Crown winner, produced from a broodmare of the year, Weekend Surprise, who is a daughter of another Triple Crown winner, Secretariat.
A.P. Indy is also the leader by number of American Graded Stakes winners of 2009, with nine sons and daughters winning 14 AGS races. His sons Pulpit and Malibu Moon rank second with seven AGS winners each. A.P. Indy has achieved this great success at stud without the benefit of super-sized foal crops. Only one of his 14 crops exceeded 100 foals, and the average size of each of his foal crops of racing age is 71. The average number of foals in each of Pulpit’s nine crops is 62, and the average for Malibu Moon’s seven crops is 79.
Perhaps less is more.
Three of A.P. Indy’s nine American Graded Stakes winners of 2009 won Grade 1 races: Flashing (Test and Gazelle), Music Note (Ballerina and Beldame) and Telling (Sword Dancer Invitational). Malibu Moon has two Grade 1-winning daughters, Funny Moon (Coaching Club American Oaks) and Devil May Care (Frizette); Pulpit sired Grade 1 winners Pyro (Forego) and Mi Sueno (Del Mar Debutante). Two other sons of A.P. Indy sired Grade 1 winners of 2009, Jump Start (Rail Trip, Hollywood Gold Cup) and Stephen Got Even (I Want Revenge, Wood Memorial).
One of his most exciting sons to enter stud is Bernardini, whose first crop turns two years old in 2010. A.P. Indy has already solidified his position as one of the most influential and important sires of the modern era, but his final chapter is yet to be written.
Tags: a.p. indy, American Graded Stakes Standings, belmont stakes, breeders' cup classic, Devil May Care, Flashing, Funny Moon, I Want Revenge, Jump Start, Keeneland, malibu moon, mi sueno, music note, Paulick Report, pulpit, pyro, Ray Paulick, seattle slew, sire, sky mesa, Stephen Got Even, tapit, Telling, Triple Crown
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:56 am
He’s quite a character as well my wife and I were visiting Lanes End in the spring of 2008. My wife being a Curlin fan and subsequently a Smart Strike fan made the comment after viewing him that he was “impressive but no Smart Strike”.
He glared at her for a few seconds then began sprinting back and forth in front of us stopping after each up and back lap to stare again at her. Ok I know it sounds a little crazy but it happened I think it actually ticked him off that HE was being compared in an unfavorable light with any other horse.
December 3rd, 2009 at 11:00 am
Bill Yates - your story about AP Indy is hilarious. Wish I could have been there to see it.
December 3rd, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Considering that AP Indy haas been bred only to the creme de la creme, he is not such a big deal. If the statistics of AEI versus CI mean anything, he does not match other sires bred to the same top-class mares. His AEI is 3.15. Comparable is 3.61. The mares have made him.
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Was fortunate to have a private tour this fall and see the big guy for the first time. Travelled 1,000 miles just to see him. I was told that if the stallions were people, AP would be The President. Thank you AP Indy for carrying that elusive Bold Ruler line and keeping the memory of my all time favorite and first love Seattle Slew going.
December 3rd, 2009 at 2:40 pm
I hate to knock any horse, but I have to agree with Garrett Redmond that it’s the mares that make Indy. I watched a $500,000 AP Indy yearling run second in a $7,500 claimer at Turfway yesterday. It was a pretty good race for him, actually. He’s out of an unraced Storm Cat mare that hasn’t produced anything of note that I can find. This colt is just one more of a trend of Indy get I’ve noticed and have followed. Glad I’m not the only one.
December 3rd, 2009 at 3:45 pm
As my Thoroughbred Times stallion register says Seattle Slew was known to produce quite a few unsound offspring and his get had below average starts (12) while other stallions averaged 21. A. P. Indy takes after his sire in that and his also average about 12. One can check the statistical summaries on stallionregister for his sons. Bold Ruckus’s sons tend to have sounder offspring and he is also TM to Bold Ruler. His son Bold Executive was no. 1 for synthetic surfaces. A. P. Indy’s dam sire Secretariat was also below average in starts per runner. IMO quality means not just class but durability and many of his offspring do not have it. Mr. Prospector improved his mares. His SI was 5.08 and ComSI 3.58. He has had many more successful sons and some have been outstanding at siring sound offspring and he was the most successful broodmare sire with his daughters way out in front on number of stakes winners. A P Indy’s 2010 stud fee of $150K is still above his average earnings per runner and more than triple his median earnings.
December 3rd, 2009 at 8:30 pm
bloodhorse.com lists 6 sons of A P Indy in the top 100 not 8. No.11 Malibu Moon,No.20 Pulpit,No.44 Jump Start,No.45 Stephen Got Even,No.74 Mineshaft, No.100 Aptitude.
December 3rd, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Thehorses…
To clarify, please note I referred to the bloodhorse.com sire list by North American earnings, which also includes Flatter and Golden Missile in the top 100, bringing the number to eight. And as long as I’m clarifying, the list of American Graded Stakes winners is just that: American Graded Stakes. It does not include Canada, Europe or elsewhere. A.P. Indy also sired Canada’s Queen’s Plate winner Eye of the Leopard to further enhance the great year he’s had.
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:29 pm
The guy is awesome…have you seen him lately his neck is HUGE.
We stand a son of his here in Hot Springs Arkansas. he is A.P. Million who is out of Brink by Forty Niner and he is the coolest stallion I have been around. He is very laid back will let anyone be around him (the cat sleeps with him). We are waiting for the day one of his progeny breaks through…..