Center of the country a victorious son of Alignment and a half brother Classic Empire will stand for the 2025 breeding season at WinStar Farm, the announcement was made on September 5. Heartland will cost $10,000 with a guarantee of racking and care.
“People might ask, ‘Why a first-place winner?’ Well, he looks like it, he’s from Justify, and he’s a half-brother to Classic Empire,” said Elliott Walden, president, CEO and racing manager of WinStar Farm. “It made perfect sense to us because we knew what we had. He has all the credentials—the pedigree, the elite ability, the looks. We felt he had the makings of a Grade 1 winner.”
Heartland was highly rated at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he sold for $575,000 to Maverick Racing and Siena Farm from a Highgate Sales consignment. The colt will race for China Horse Club, Siena Farm and WinStar Farm and shone brightly on his debut last July 29 at Del Marwhere he went 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.20—the fastest time of any 2-year-old horse over this distance at Del Mar or Saratoga Race Track last year. Trained by Bob Baffert, Heartland achieved an Equibase Speed Index of 88 and a Beyer Speed Index of 90 for his performance.
“The way he was bred and the way he looked, the first time we rode him, I knew we were on a really special horse,” Baffert said. “When a 2-year-old runs 1:03 and changes, that’s really special. That’s fast. I think he’s just established himself as one of the top 2-year-olds in the country. He’s my horse.”
China Horse Club sired Heartland to the Cat Thief mare Sambuca Classica, the dam of seven winners from nine foals to race. Her top performers include Classic Empire, the 2016 champion 2-year-old colt and a Grade 1 winner at ages 2 and 3. A son of Pioneerof the Nile, Classic Empire won the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at age 2 and went on to win the Arkansas Derby (G1) and finish second in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at age 3. As a breeding stallion, Classic Empire sired the 2023 Arkansas Derby winner Angel of the Empire and the winners are ranked/grouped Deluxe version , Federal Dream , Morello And OrestinaHis descendants have so far earned more than $17 million.
Justify, a son of Scat Daddy and 2018 Triple Crown winner, is North America’s top third-crop sire by progeny earnings and black-type winners with 14 years to date. Based on the cumulative results of his first three crops, Justify leads his stallion group in progeny earnings (over $25 million), winners (30), graded/group winners (14) and graded/group 1 winners with six, as of September 5. He also ranks fourth overall on the list of top stallions.
Justify has sired three champions: the 2023 champion 2-year-old mare and the Breeders’ Cup-winning Juvenile Fillies (G1) mare. Just so you know 2023 European Champion 2-year-old colt and four-time Group 1 winner Troy City and 2023 European Champion 2 Year Old Mare Opera Singer . Justify’s additional 1st place winners include Hard to justify , Arabian Lion And Aspen Forest .
