Heartland , a winning son of Justify and a half brother to Classic Empire, will stand the 2025 breeding season at WinStar Farm, it was announced Sept. 5. Heartland will stand for $10,000 with a stands and nurses guarantee.
"One might ask, 'Why stand a maiden winner?' Well, he looks the part, he's by Justify, and he's a half brother to Classic Empire," said Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager for WinStar Farm. "It makes perfect sense to us because we know what we had. He has all the credentials—pedigree, elite ability, and looks. We felt he had the ability of a grade 1 winner."
Heartland was highly regarded during the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale where he sold for $575,000 to Maverick Racing and Siena Farm from Highgate Sales' consignment. The colt would race for China Horse Club, Siena Farm, and WinStar Farm and flashed brilliance in his his debut July 29 last year at Del Mar, where he went 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.20—the fastest time of any 2-year-old at the distance at Del Mar or Saratoga Race Course last year. Trained by Bob Baffert, Heartland earned an 88 Equibase Speed Figure and a 90 Beyer Speed Figure for his performance.
"The way he is bred and the way he looks, the first time we breezed him I knew we were sitting on something really special," said Baffert. "When a 2-year-old runs in 1:03 and change that is really special. That's fast. I thought he just stamped himself as one of the top 2-year-olds in the country. He was my horse."
China Horse Club bred Heartland out of the Cat Thief mare Sambuca Classica, the dam of seven winners from nine foals to race. Her top performers include Classic Empire, the 2016 champion 2-year-old colt and a grade 1 winner at 2 and 3. A son of Pioneerof the Nile, Classic Empire won the Breeders' Futurity (G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at 2 and went on to capture the Arkansas Derby (G1) and run second in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at 3. As a stallion, Classic Empire has sired 2023 Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire and graded/group stakes winners Classy Edition, Interstatedaydream, Morello, and Orestina. His progeny to date have earned more than $17 million.
Justify, a son of Scat Daddy and winner of the 2018 Triple Crown, is the leading North American third-crop sire by progeny earnings and by number of black-type winners with 14 year to date. By cumulative results for his first three crops, Justify leads his sire class by progeny earnings (more than $25 million), number of stakes winners (30), number of graded/group stakes winners (14), and number of grade/group 1 winners with six, as of Sept. 5. He also ranks fourth on the general leading sires list.
Justify has sired three champions: 2023 champion 2-year-old filly and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Just F Y I, 2023 European champion 2-year-old colt and four-time group 1 winner City of Troy, and 2023 European champion 2-year-old filly Opera Singer. Additional grade 1 winners by Justify include Hard to Justify, Arabian Lion , and Aspen Grove.
