Empire Way, Swiss Yodeler to stand at Lovacres Ranch

Empire Way, a full brother to champion Royal Delta, and California-based stallion Swiss Yodeler will stand at Terry Lovingier’s Lovacres Ranch near Warner Springs, Calif., for the 2013 breeding season.

Empire Way will stand his first season at stud for $5,000 while Swiss Yodeler, who entered stud in 1999, will stand for $3,000. The 18-year-old Eastern Echo horse stood for $4,000 at Harris Farms in 2012.

Empire Way, a 3-year-old Empire Maker colt, won his debut at Hollywood Park in November 2011 and finished second to eventual dual classic winner I’ll Have Another in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis Stakes last spring at Santa Anita Park. He retires with one win from 12 starts and $119,170 in earnings.

Empire Way is out of the multiple Grade 3-winning A.P. Indy mare Delta Princess, dam of two-time Breeders’ Cup Ladies' Classic winner and leading Eclipse Award candidate Royal Delta. Delta Princess is a full sister to Grade 1 winner Indy Five Hundred and a half-sister to Group 1 winner Biondetti.

Swiss Yodeler currently ranks 12th on the 2012 California sire list, and from 11 crops of racing age, his progeny have earned over $24 million. He has sired 27 stakes winners to date, led by 2006 champion sprinter Thor’s Echo.

Swiss Yodeler won six of 24 starts and five stakes races during his career—including the Grade 1 Hollywood Futurity—and earned $761,442. He is out of the stakes-winning Raja Baba mare Drapeau.