EMPIRE MAKER A RISING STAR
Article taken from the Daily Racing Forum
By LAUREN STICH
LAS VEGAS - After witnessing just a brief example of his first
crop of runners, I predict the next big stallion is going to be
EMPIRE MAKER. In fact, EMPIRE
MAKER has the makings to be the next A.P. Indy.
Winner of his career debut at one mile, EMPIRE
MAKER showed a glimpse of his talent at age 2, running third in
the Remsen Stakes in just his second start. He began his 3-year-old
season finishing second in the Sham Stakes and then dominated the
Florida Derby by 9 1/4 lengths. He was well in hand when he
defeated a game Funny Cide in the Wood Memorial Stakes. Skipping
the Preakness, EMPIRE MAKER easily won the Belmont
Stakes, and then finished second to Strong Hope in the Jim Dandy
Stakes, which turned out to be his final race.
Like A.P. Indy, EMPIRE MAKER not only has an impeccable
pedigree, he also should be an important source of stamina in this
country, a rare commodity in this era. While runners
by EMPIRE MAKER should only improve with age and
distance, some will certainly have tactical speed. Unbridled may be
revered as a strong source of stamina, but he did thrash champion
Housebuster going seven furlongs in the Deputy Minister Handicap at
Gulfstream Park. And, thus far, the brilliant Unbridled's Song has
been Unbridled's best son at stud, and is more of a speed than
stamina influence.
EMPIRE MAKER's offspring should not be as precocious
as those of Unbridled's Song, but they will be more effective at
distances longer than one mile. EMPIRE
MAKER's runners should relish 1 1/4 miles and beyond, and
I expect we will eventually see many of his 3-year-olds succeed in
all of the Triple Crown races, possibly even in 2008, and every
year thereafter.
Since he first went to stud, I expected it was only a matter of
time before A.P. Indy sired a Kentucky Derby winner, and I believe
the same of EMPIRE MAKER because their runners are bred to
love the Derby distance. While that has not yet happened with A.P.
Indy, his runners have come close. Pulpit, a member of A.P. Indy's
initial crop, ran fourth while sustaining a career-ending injury in
the 1997 Derby, and Aptitude ran a strong second to Fusaichi
Pegasus in the 2000 Derby. A.P. Indy has sired winners of the
Preakness (Bernardini) and Belmont (Rags to Riches).
It's not unusual for high-profile stallions to attract high-class
mares in their first year at stud, but the array of blue-blooded
mares that EMPIRE MAKER was bred to is astounding. Consider this
small sample of 2-year-olds from EMPIRE
MAKER's first crop:
* Country Star (filly out of Rings a Chime): Winner of the
Alcibiades Stakes in her second start after finishing second in a
maiden turf event.
* Jedi Code (colt out of Listen Well): Half-brother to Listening,
Beautiful Noise, and Solar Echo was impressive winning maiden race
at Churchill Downs.
* Mushka (filly out of Sluice): Won maiden race at Belmont on Oct.
19; second dam is stakes winner Lakeway.
* Turn Away (filly out of Averti): Winner of her only start, her
dam is a half-sister to Defensive Play.
* Unspoken Fur (filly out of Spoken Fur): Unplaced on turf, she won
her dirt debut. Dam won Mother Goose Stakes and Coaching Club
American Oaks.
* Acoma (filly out of Aurora): Stakes-winning dam is out of blue
hen Courtly Dee.
* Arboreta (filly out of Sleep Easy): Stakes-winning dam is a
half-sister to Aptitude.
* Battle Plan (colt out of Flanders): Out of champion 2-year-old
filly and half-brother to champion Surfside.
* Cairo Escapade (colt out of Sassy Pants): Half-brother to Madcap
Escapade and Dubai Escapade.
* Charming Assets (filly out of Storm Away): Second dam is a
half-sister to Mariah's Storm, dam of Giant's Causeway.
* China Bank (colt out T.V. Countess): Half-brother to 2-year-old
filly champion Countess Diana.
* Dean Henry (filly out of Baydon Belle): Half-sister to Read the
Footnotes.
* Dulcet Tone (filly out of Euphonize): Second dam is a half-sister
to Danehill.
* Emperor's Tale (Gelding out of Hot Novel): Half-brother to
Behrens.
* Empire Baby (filly out of Roll Over Baby): Half-sister to Value
Plus, Majorbigtimesheet, Sing Baby Sing, Werblin, Incriminate, and
Roll Hennessy Roll.
* Empire Keeper (colt out of Keeper Hill): Out of Kentucky Oaks
winner.
* Empiress (filly out of Regal Band): Half-sister to Derby winner
Monarchos.
* Geographic (filly out of Dokki): Half-sister to Aptitude; dam is
half-sister to Slew o' Gold and Coastal.
* Icon Project (filly out of La Gueriere): Grade 1-winning mare is
one of five stakes winners out of Lady Winborne.
* Ivory Empire (colt out of Ivory Idol): Half-brother to 2-year-old
champion Anees.
* Love Empire (colt out of Gioconda): Half-brother to multiple
Group/Grade 1 winner Ciro; dam is a half-sister to champion Bosra
Sham and Hector Protector.
* Mythical Hero (colt out of Jolypha): Dam was a full sister to
European champion Dancing Brave and was also a 3-year-old filly
champion in France and third to A.P. Indy in the Breeders' Cup
Classic.
* Routine (filly out of Tates Creek): First foal out of multiple
stakes-winning half-sister to Sightseek.
Date:
14 November 2007