Graded stakes winner Soaring Empire will enter stud in 2013 at Vinery New York, according to an announcement made by Vinery’s Dan Hayden.
The 5-year-old son of classic winner and top sire Empire Maker will stand for $2,500, payable when foal stands and nurses.
Out of the winning A.P. Indy mare Flying Passage, Soaring Empire is a half brother to multiple graded stakes winner Hungry Island (by More Than Ready ), winner of this year’s Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (gr. IIT). Hungry Island also placed in two grade I events.
Second dam Chic Shirine won the Ashland Stakes (gr. I) and placed in the Mother Goose Stakes (gr. I). This is the family of champion older female Queena, grade I winners Too Chic, Serra Lake, and Brahms, as well as graded stakes winners El Padrino , Al Khali, Somali Lemonade, Coal Play, and Tara Roma.
Bred by Emory Hamilton, Soaring Empire was a $190,000 Keeneland September sale yearling. Raced by Ol Memorial Stable (Rick Pitino) and C. E. Glasscock Racing, Soaring Empire won five times and placed in another five races. He was a three-time stakes winner and placed in five graded stakes.
He won his 2-year-old debut at Monmouth Park then placed in the Iroquois Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs in his only other race that season. As a 3-year-old, he won the Rutgers Stakes at Monmouth, going six furlongs in 1:08.27, and placed in the Pegasus Stakes (gr. III) to eventual Travers Stakes (gr. I) winner Afleet Express.
In his 4-year-old debut Soaring Empire won the mile Hal’s Hope Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park earning a 106 Beyer speed figure, topping Rule and Morning Line . He then ran second in a pair of grade II events, the Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship Stakes and the Gulfstream Park Handicap. Soaring Empire went on to win the Majestic Light Stakes at Monmouth and finish second in the Salvator Mile Stakes (gr. III). Trained by Cam Gambolati, he was retired earlier this year.
“Soaring Empire showed a lot of versatility as a racehorse, winning from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles,” Hayden said. “He’s from a quality female family and is by the influential stallion Empire Maker. We are very pleased to have him in New York.”
Empire Maker is the sire of three grade I winners this year: Bodemeister , In Lingere, and Royal Delta.
