Everything about A.P. Indy was awesome.
His gorgeous looks, his immaculate pedigree, his talent on the racetrack and his potent bloodlines that have made a mark in racing and breeding in modern day racing not seen by many top racehorses and stallions in decades.
Even in retirement from breeding (he was pensioned in 2011), A.P. Indy’s popularity was as strong as it ever was. His home, Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky, frequently put up videos of the stallion engaging visitors, receiving birthday and Christmas gifts and getting all kinds of love and his favourite, soft mints from longtime groom Asa Haley.
He lived a long and wonderful life and he will be dearly missed.
The 1992 Horse of the Year in America and 2-time leading sire passed away peacefully in his stall Feb. 21 at the age of 31.
The son of Seattle Slew–Weekend Surprise, by Secretariat sired 30 Grade I winners, 12 champions, 89 graded winners and 156 stakes winners.
“It is with extreme sadness that we today announce the passing of our beloved A.P. Indy, he was 31 years old,” a statement from Lane’s End Farm read. “A.P. Indy passed away peacefully in his stall at the Lane’s End stallion complex, the barn he called home for 27 years. Champion A.P. Indy’s list of accomplishments range far and wide as his legacy continues to be carried through the outstanding performances of his sons and daughters across the globe. He was the most important and popular member of the Lane’s End team and we are deeply sorry to all who loved him as much as we did.”
With Triple Crown winners as his sire and broodmare sire, expectations were high for a impressive looking bay colt who brought $2.9 million at Keeneland July 1990. The half brother to Preakness Stakes winner Summer Squall was bought by Tomonori Tsurumaki, a developer who recently had opened an IndyCar track in Japan.
Trained by Neil Drysdale, A.P. Indy missed the Kentucky Derby due to a foot injury but his Belmont Stakes victory, in the fast time of 2:26 for 12 furlongs, and subsequent romp in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Gulfstream Park solidified his spot among the greats.
Woodbine fans got a chance to see A.P. Indy in the early fall of 1992 when Drysdale shipped the colt to Canada for the Molson Export Million, a dirt race fairly new to Woodbine worth $1 million.
With Queen’s Plate winner Alydeed in the field, his Prince of Wales conqueror Benburb and US stakes winner Technology making for a superior Grade 1 event, it was easily one of the most impressive fields assembled at the Etobicoke track.
And everybody expected A.P. Indy to begin his fall sophomore campaign with a rousing win.
Instead, as track announcer Dan Loiselle shrieked at the finish, it was “an upset for the ages” – watch below.
Drysdale told reporters following the race the ‘track was too loose” for ‘Indy’s liking and knew early on it would not be the colt’s day.
No matter, A.P. Indy went on to crush rivals in the Classic before going off to stud.
His fee was $50,000, his first crop was just 45 foals. But 13 of them were stakes winners, 29%.
By 2001 he had 201 named foaled and in his stud career he sired 1,224 foals.
It was not just the numbers of stakes winner A.P. Indy would sire (156) but 89 were graded stakes winner, 12 were champions.
His daughters have produced top horses and his sons, 29 of then, have had success at stud.
His last crop included Honor Code, one of the hot young sires of today.
A.P. Indy was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.
Below I have found his Belmont and Breeders’ Cup Classic wins:
December 2019 with longtime caretaker ASA HALEY
https://www.facebook.com/lanesendfarm/videos/2438591939737714/
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