A Celebration Of The Great A.P. Indy

With A.P. Indy recently in the news regarding his last crop of yearlings to be sold at the Keeneland September Sale happening now and Just As Well having his first crop of foals being born this season, we thought it might be apt to have a look at A.P. Indy as a racehorse – and what a sensation he was. His other sons standing in KZN include exciting prospects A.P. Arrow and A.P. Answer.

Being described as the perfect horse, he was a record-breaking $2.9 million yearling in 1990 and went onto prove his hefty price tag at the track, walking in the footsteps of his famous Triple Crown winning ancestors, sire Seattle Slew as well as his maternal grandsire, the great Secretariat, by taking home the Gr 1 Belmont Stakes amongst his many wins.

A.P. Indy won the Grade I Hollywood Futurity, the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Grade I Belmont Stakes, the Grade I Santa Anita Derby, the Grade II San Rafael Stakes, the Grade II Peter Pan Stakes and ran third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He was voted the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year in 1992 and the Eclipse Award Champion three year old colt, with eight wins and one place from 11 starts.

When the American economy was flourishing, he commanded a stud fee of $300 000, standing at Lane’s End farm. He was pensioned in 2011 after the first 25 mares of his book failed to get into foal.

He has produced sire-of-sires including Bernardini as well Mineshaft, Festival Of Light, Golden Missile, Pulpit, Aptitude and Telling and A.P. Warrior (who shares a damline with son A.P. Answer), and had the biggest representation of progeny in the Kentucky Derby this year. Champion racemare Zenyatta produced her first foal by Bernardini earlier this year, with Rachel Alexandra and Blind Luck booked for coverings.

The most exciting race to watch is his annihilation of the field in the Gr 1 Santa Anita Derby, where he sat in fourth position, making the brave choice to make his run from the outside.