The 1992 Breeders' Cup Classic

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The 1992 Breeders’ Cup Classic

Winner: A.P. Indy

The 1992 Breeders’ Cup was held at Gulfstream Park, and expectations were high for the great A.P. Indy in the Classic. The son of one Triple Crown winner (Seattle Slew) and grandson of another (Secretariat), A.P. Indy sold for $2.9 million in 1990 at the Keeneland July yearling sale. His 3-year-old season was already a very good one, despite being scratched in the Kentucky Derby. A.P. Indy suffered a foot bruise and was unable to make a Run for the Roses as the morning line favorite. But a pair of Grade I wins in the Santa Anita Derby and Belmont Stakes had fans clamoring for more, especially after A.P. Indy won the Belmont in the second-fasted time ever.  

The $3 million Classic was an opportunity for A.P. Indy to win a Breeders’ Cup race and also secure Horse of the Year honors. But a tough field of 14 that included 12 Grade 1 winners would make it a stiff challenge. A.P. Indy was the favorite at post, followed closely by Pleasant Tap (5-2), who beat him in the Jockey Club Gold Cup a month earlier.

As the leaders sizzled through early fractions and a half mile time of 45 4/5 seconds, A.P. Indy was content to sit back mid pack. Pleasant Tap was further back. As they neared the far turn, A.P. Indy made his move between horses and moved up to 3rd at the top of the stretch. Jockey Eddie Delahoussay unleashed his powerful colt, and A.P. Indy zoomed past the leaders and went into a full drive towards the finish. Pleasant Tap had moved up along the rail into the stretch, and Gary Stevens was asking him for everything he had. But no horse was strong enough to catch the talented A.P. Indy, who would gallop home a winner by three lengths over a late-charging Pleasant Tap with Jolypha a length back in third. The winning time was a strong one, 2:00.20 for the 1 ¼ mile Classic.

Trainer Neil Drysdale won his 5th Breeders’ Cup race, and Delahoussay picked up his 3rd Breeders’ Cup victory. As of September, 2017, A.P. Indy is the oldest living winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and a breed-shaping sire who was among the leading sires in North America for 10-consecutive years.