Congrats, Grade 2 Winner and Influential Sire, Dies

A graded stakes winner and the sire of multiple top-level performers, died of natural causes in Florida at the age of 25

Congrats, one of the most generous sons of A.P. Indy / WINSTAR FARM

OCALA, Florida (Special for Turf Diario).- U.S. racing bid farewell on Sunday to one of its most influential sires of the past few decades. At the age of 25, Congratspassed away of natural causes in Florida, leaving behind a legacy that resonated both on the racetrack and in the breeding shed.

A son of the legendary A.P. Indy, Congrats was bred by Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider and enjoyed a solid career from 2002 to 2006 under several trainers, with his most memorable performances coming under Hall of Famer Richard Mandella. He won 7 of his 26 starts, earning just shy of $1 million. His biggest victory came in the GII San Pasqual H. in 2005. That same season, he finished second in the GI Santa Anita H., third in the GI Hollywood Gold Cup, and fifth in the G1 Dubai World Cup.

Retired to stud at Vinery Florida, Congrats later stood in Kentucky, first at Vinery's central farm and then, beginning in 2013, at WinStar Farm. He was pensioned in 2021 and moved to Woodford Thoroughbreds, the operation of John Sykes in Reddick, now known as Persaud Legacy Farms, where he lived out his final years under the care of Scott Kintz of Six K’s Training & Sales.

Congrats sired 15 crops and left behind 1,565 foals, including 47 black-type winners and 12 graded/group winners, with stakes performers in both hemispheres thanks to several shuttle seasons in Australia.

Among his leading progeny were multiple Grade I winner Turbulent Descent, Haveyougoneaway (GI Ballerina S.), Wickedly Perfect (GI Alcibiades S.), Emma’s Encore (GI Prioress S.), and the hard-knocking Bango, who holds the modern-day record for most wins at Churchill Downs.

“He was a sweet, wise old horse,” Kintz said. “Every morning he’d run to his feed tub and go on like he always had. He looked great for his age. I laid down with him in his stall Monday night when he laid down, and he passed peacefully. I felt like I owed him that. In many ways, he brought me to this point.”

The news was met with sadness by Sykes, who had housed the stallion for many years: “He’s gone, but he leaves behind many unforgettable memories and all that he did for the farm.”