Soaring Empire to enter stud at Vinery New York

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ol’ Memorial Stable and C. E. Glasscock’s Grade 3 winner Soaring Empire, who last raced in February, will enter stud in 2013 at Vinery New York, the farm announced Friday.

A 5-year-old son of Empire Maker, Soaring Empire will stand at Vinery’s Sugar Maple division in Poughquag, N.Y. for a fee of $2,500 payable when the foal stands and nurses.

Soaring Empire won 5 of 16 starts, finishing second three times and third twice – all in graded stakes – for career earnings of $386,393. In addition to his Grade 3 win in the 2011 Hal’s Hope Stakes, Soaring Empire won the 2011 Majestic Light and 2010 Rutgers Stakes, both at Monmouth Park. He last started in the Feb. 11 Donn Handicap, in which he finished 11th, and was retired in June.

Bred by Emory Hamilton, Soaring Empire is a son of the A.P. Indy winner Flying Passage, making him a half-brother to two-time graded winner and Grade 1-placed Hungry Island, winner of the 2012 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile.