New King On The Block

Recently, 2010 Kentucky Derby contender Pleasant Prince (Indy King – Archduchess, by Pleasant Tap) was a whisker shy of winning all of the gold in the Florida Derby. The long striding colt fought hard to the wire and many, including his initially jubilant owners, Ken and Sarah Ramsey, thought he had won the battle for first place. So far the handsome chestnut has improved his speed figures in every start this year, indicating that he’s improving at the right time. Pleasant Prince may not have enough graded stakes earnings to enter the Kentucky Derby starting gate, but he could be a legitimate factor in the Preakness Stakes (G-1)
 
This is good news for the connections of his royally bred sire Indy King (A.P. Indy – Queena, by Mr. Prospector). The striking chestnut stallion was a $2,200,000 yearling purchase by Adena Springs Farm and he has a beautiful conformation with substantial size and scope reminiscent of many A.P. Indy sons. Unfortunately, he was injured before making his racing debut and now stands for the very modest fee of $1,000 at Richwine Farm in Indiana.
Indy King’s sire A.P. Indy is a well known international sire of sires. The majority of his sons standing at stud continue to pass along the stamina oriented genes of two Triple Crown Champions Seattle Slew and Secretariat. Indy King is bred along
the same lines as A.P. Indy’s best son at stud, Pulpit, as well as Mineshaft and new sires Congrats and A.P. Arrow. Indy King’s stud career may eventually duplicate that of Malibu Moon, an up and coming son of A.P. Indy out of a Group 1 Stakes winning Mr. Prospector mare. Malibu Moon originally stood for $3,000 before proving his worth. He now resides at Spendthrift Farm and commands a stud fee of $40,000.
Indy King’s dam Queena (Mr. Prospector – Too Chic, by Blushing Groom) was the named the champion 1991 older mare after capturing the Vagrancy Handicap (G-3), Ballerina Stakes (G-1), Ruffian Stakes (G-1) and Maskette Stakes (G-1) which was renamed the Genuine Risk Stakes. Her victories came from seven furlongs to 1 1/6 miles. Queena was no slouch In the breeding shed either. She produced Indy King’s full sister La Reina, a Grade 3 winning miler who was in the money 13 of 20 starts, earning over $350,000. She also begat their half brothers, Hollywood Derby (G-1T) winning sire Brahms and stakes winner Olympic.
Queena’s family is full of class. Her full sister Chic Shrine won the Ashland Stakes (G-1) and is the dam of two Grade 2 winners. She is also the grand dam of Grade 1 winner Serra Lake, multiple Stakes winner Cappuchino and 2010 Kentucky Derby nominee Soaring Empire. Indy King’s second dam Too Chic was also a Grade 1 winner and his third dam Remedia and fourth dam Mondade are Rene de Courses (superior mares).
Like Pulpit and Mineshaft, Indy King should match well with a variety of bloodlines. The first cross that comes to mind is the sire line of Northern Dancer (Hennessy, El Prado, Deputy Minister, Nijinsky, Danzig, Dixieland Band, and Storm Cat). Breeding back to the Mr. Prospector line could work, but adding additional bloodlines from other sons of Raise a Native (Alydar, Exclusive Native, Majestic Prince and Native Royalty) or the 13-c distaff family (Myrtlewood, Miss Dogwood, Sequence or Gold Digger) could be even better, as his sire is proven with mares by sons of Affirmed, Majestic Light, and Alydar. Indy King should also cross well with sons of Hail to Reason (Halo, Roberto, Stop the Music). The Blushing Groom (Rahy, Mt. Livermore) bloodline is also proven with A.P. Indy sons, and of course, the great old bloodline of Ribot through his son Pleasant Colony and great son Pleasant Tap have produced winners. Indy King has a statebred champion out of a Holy Bull mare, and this match has also proved profitable for other A.P. Indy sons.
 
Indy King entered stud in 2004 and has sired four crops of racing age. From only 111 foals he’s gotten 1 state bred champion, Indy Joe, two stakes winners and one Grade 1 stake placed runner. 55% of his foals have entered the starting gate and 33% of them reached the wire first. Indy King provides a fair to good return on the investment considering his stud fee. It appears he has improved the limited book of mares that have been bred to him. His foals are usually late-developing two year olds who improve with age and some distance.