But what a life he led.
It blows my mind to think that the entire Seattle Slew sire line would be essentially nonexistent today if it were not for AP Indy.
The article linked and referenced in the Bloodhorse death notice, from last year is great about “Head” and his caretaker.
My mare Callie, Kick and Howl, was a daughter of Poker who sired Seattle Slew’s dam years before. Great bloodline.
Absolutely heartbreaking. Thoughts for everyone at Lanes End. 31 is a good long life, R.I.P A.P Indy
- may the wonderful memories comfort the broken hearts at Lane’s End Farm in the days to come ~
:sadsmile:
You knew it was coming sooner than later but it still hurts like a kick in the gut. Godspeed AP, your work here was well done.
I saw a post on Facebook that said it best…he now belongs to the ages. He was my all-time favorite.
Wow, sad to read the news, but he did live a long, healthy life, and was clearly well loved. RIP.
Texarkana - interesting, I’m not that knowledgeable on the bloodlines side of things, but that’s pretty amazing.
He did great things and lived a great long life. There’s not much more you can ask for than that.
My heart sank when I read the title. :no:
He truly did incredible things. I remember as a very young 20 y/o – all of the exercise riders would fight over who got to ride any AP Indy horse that came in. He sired some seriously remarkable horses, both inside and outside of racing.
Condolences to all of his connections at Lanes End. @2tempe I think – and Texarkana can correct me if I am wrong, that she means tail male. Slew still pops up sometimes on the damside with no AP Indy (example being Frost Giant, Mutakddim), but AP was positively Slew’s Hail Mary. It’s incredible to think, without AP Indy we wouldn’t have some first class stallions – Malibu Moon, Golden Missile, Bluegrass Cat, Tapit, Pulpit, Bernardini, Honor Code, Mineshaft, Stephen Got Even, Jump Start, Flatter/Congrats, Dance With Ravens…
Coincidentally, almost all of the above are highly sought after for non-racing disciplines… He truly left an incredible legacy. I don’t think there has been any other stallion like him.
Such a legacy he left. Condolences to all his connections (including his groom) and may he run free for the ages!
I am so sad to read this - I have a 5 year old OTTB outside right now who is my 2nd AP Indy horse (I didn’t race them, just got them afterwards & retrain them). I liked the first one so much, this one has Indy on both sides (I didn’t intentionally pick that, I just liked the horse), as he is out of a Golden Missile mare & his sire was out of an Indy grand-daughter.
Both horses are kind, generous, forgiving, athletic, & smart & I know I’m not the only person who looks for that name in a partner. I am grateful for the gifts passed down by this wonderful stallion & glad he enjoyed such a long, safe life.
With the loss of AP Indy, I do have to say that Secretariat lives today in all of these horses. Two of the most influential stallions of the last couple of decades we’re out of mares by that wonderful flame red rocket. So, while he did not live on and his sons in the way we might’ve hoped, he absolutely lived on in his daughters and because of them in these magnificent stallions.
I knew it was AP Indy when I read the title, it couldn’t have been any other. He was an incredible horse.
It’s interesting that Pulpit’s parents, A.P. Indy and Preach were born within days of each other in 1989. Both lived to be 31 years old, and then they died within days of each other.
I saw AP Indy a number of times over the years but the one I will never forget was the first time in the late 90s. He already was a legend and I was in awe. He was held for us outside the barn at Lane’s End and looked truly regal like a benevolent king. I had my camera at the ready but I also had a can of Coke I had just consumed and I didn’t quite know what to do with that. I just put it down on the ground so I had both hands free for the perfect shot.
I had just moved in for the head shot looking only through the viewfinder when the inevitable happened and my foot caught the empty Coke can. Bang! Clink! and then to my horror and shame, it rolled slowly and loudly along the ground coming to a rest at one of A P Indy’s feet. Time stopped. In my mind’s eye, I could see A P Indy rearing up, throwing his groom and heading off down the road to certain doom. Bloodhorse headlines flashed through my head “A P Indy killed by Coke can!”
Of course what really happened is that A P Indy gave me a long suffering “Oh for crying out loud” look and did nothing. The groom wasn’t even mad. He just looked amused.
Class horse. Class people.
He will be missed.
Love this ^ post !
Thanks for sharing Pronzini ~
I hope that they bury him somewhere nice on the farm, and have a wonderful bronze done of him, ala Seattle Slew.
Well, since they already have a huge bronze statue of him, I guess they’ll bury him there…
Oh, I just read about this a few minutes ago! What a legacy. I feel sad that he’s gone, but happy that he lived such a long and successful life.
