Honor A. P. to stand at Lane's End after racing career ends

Kentucky Derby hopeful Honor A. P. will stand at Lane's End Farm upon his eventual retirement from racing as that Kentucky stallion operation continues to build on the legacy of the late A.P. Indy.

Lane's End announced on Friday morning that it had acquired the breeding rights to Honor A. P., who is from the first crop of its young stallion Honor Code, the Eclipse Award champion older male of 2015. Honor Code, also the sire of Belmont Stakes third-place finisher Max Player, is by Hall of Famer and sire A.P. Indy, who died in February at age 31 at Lane's End.

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“We named Honor A. P. in homage to his grandsire, the breed-shaping A.P. Indy," Lee Searing, who, with wife, Susan, campaigns the colt as CRK Stable. “It has always been my goal to race a horse of this caliber and to stand him at Lane’s End. I plan to keep an interest in Honor A. P. and help make him a top stallion.”

Honor A. P., who is trained by John Shirreffs, has not been worse than second in four career starts. He finished second to Authentic in his stakes debut in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes, then turned the tables on that previously unbeaten foe with an impressive win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on June 6.

Lane's End's Bill Farish said that the farm had had its eyes on Honor A. P. since its associate David Ingordo purchased him for $850,000 on behalf of the Searings at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale.

"April Mayberry was quietly touting him while being broken, and John Shirreffs has been high on him since he arrived at Santa Anita," Farish said. "We are very excited to secure another prospect from the A.P. Indy line. As is the case with most of our stallions, having a strong syndicate behind them is very important to their success. We are emboldened by the quality of the syndicate that has come together to support him. His looks, pedigree, and his growing resume as a top racehorse gives him a great chance to be a successful sire.”

Honor A. P. is out of the Wild Rush mare Hollywood Story, a Grade 1-winning millionaire. She is also the dam of stakes winner Miss Hollywood and Grade 2-placed Hollywood Star, both by A.P. Indy's son Malibu Moon, and of stakes-placed Hoorayforhollywood, by Storm Cat.