'We felt he had the ability of a Grade 1 winner' - Classic Empire's Justify half-brother Heartland to stand at WinStar Farm

Heartland, a winning son of Justify and half-brother to Classic Empire, will stand the 2025 breeding season at WinStar Farm. 

He 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 in July last year at Del Mar, where he went  five and a half furlongs in 1:03.20, the fastest time of any two-year-old at the distance at Del Mar or Saratoga 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 two-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 two-year-olds in the country. He was my horse."

Elliott Walden: "He has all the credentials - pedigree, elite ability, and looks"Credit: Edward Whitaker

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 two-year-old colt and a Grade 1 winner at two and three. A son of Pioneerof The Nile, Classic Empire won the Breeders' Futurity and Breeders' Cup Juvenile at two and went on to capture the Arkansas Derby and run second in the Preakness Stakes at three. 

As a stallion, Classic Empire has sired 2023 Arkansas Derby winner Angel Of Empire and Graded/Group 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 in the year to date. By cumulative results for his first three crops, Justify leads his sire class by progeny earnings (more than $25m), number of stakes winners (30), number of Graded/Group stakes winners (14) and number of Grade/Group 1 winners with six, as of September 5. He also ranks fourth on the general leading sires list.

Justify has sired three champions: 2023 champion two-year-old filly and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Just F Y I, 2023 European champion two-year-old colt and four-time Group 1 winner City Of Troy, and 2023 European champion two-year-old filly Opera Singer. Additional Grade 1 winners by Justify include Hard To Justify, Arabian Lion and Aspen Grove.

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