Graded stakes winner Soaring Empire , a son of successful sire Empire Maker , has been retired from racing. Stud plans are pending.
Racing for Ol Memorial Stable and C.E. Glasscock, Soaring Empire won his debut at 2 at Monmouth Park and finished third in the Iroquois Stakes (gr, II) at Churchill Downs in his only other start that year.
At 3, Soaring Empire took the six-furlong Rutgers Stakes in 1:08.27 and finished third in the Pegasus Stakes (gr. III), both at Monmouth Park.
In his first start at 4, Soaring Empire captured the one-mile Hal’s Hope Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park. He finished second to Tackleberry in his next two starts, the Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship Stakes (gr. II) and the Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II), beaten a neck in the latter event while finishing ahead of Tizway and Jackson Bend.
Soaring Empire went on to win the Majestic Light Stakes at Monmouth and finish second in the Salvator Mile Stakes (gr. III). He was retired with a record of 5-3-2 from 16 starts and earnings of $386,393 while trained by Cam Gambolati.
“He showed so much versatility—running against the best and winning from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles,” Glasscock said about the 5-year-old horse. “He’s a very exciting prospect, being by leading sire Empire Maker , who has been sold to Japan and is no longer available to American breeders yet continues to exert strong influence over our racing.”
Bred in Kentucky by Emory A. Hamilton and sold for $190,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September yearling sale, Soaring Empire is out of the winning A.P. Indy mare Flying Passage and is a half brother to grade II winner Hungry Island. Flying Passage is a half sister to grade II winners Waldoboro and Tara Roma, dam of grade I winner Serra Lake.