How does one define a disappointment? In some ways, Benardini might qualify. The highly-touted son of AP Indy stormed to classic glory, but his success was overshadowed by the meteoric rise and tragic decline of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro.
Retired to Darley in Kentucky, Bernadini became an immediate success at stud but failed to live up to astronomical expectations from those who touted him as AP Indy’s heir apparent. Indeed, Bernardini’s contemporary Tapit, a paternal grandson of AP Indy, donned the family mantle.
On July 30, the 18-year-old stallion died of laminitis complications, the same foe that felled Barbaro 15 years earlier. Although his sire successes never reached the heights some predicted, slow and steady usually does win the race - at least in terms of future influence. Early indications from Bernardini’s daughters hint that the horse, a good sire while alive, might turn out to be an even better damsire in the future.
From the break
Straight out of the gate, Bernardini was billed as something special. He was impeccably bred, by AP Indy out of 1995 G1 Hollywood Starlet Stakes winner Cara Rafaela (by Quiet American). Progeny from Quiet American’s daughters include 127 stakes winners (5% from foals), highlighted by champions Saint Liam and Bernardini.
Darley homebred Bernardini did not start until age 3, breaking his maiden in his second race. He was upgraded to a Graded stake in his next start, roundly defeating three outmatched rivals in the April 29 G3 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct.
He came to hand too late to make the Derby but headed to Baltimore for the 2006 Preakness Stakes. Of the lightly-raced colt, trainer Tom Albertrani told the Sun Sentinel, “There’s only one opportunity to try and win the Preakness.” Darley president Jimmy Bell added, “We recognize he’s short on experience, but we hope he’s long on talent.”
Bernardini rewarded his backers on May 20. In the opening strides of the Preakness, the highly-touted Barbaro broke his leg, leaving Bernardini to cruise home first by 5¼ lengths.
Bernardini waltzed through his next three starts, annexing the G2 Jim Dandy Stakes, G1 Travers Stakes, and G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. After that Travers win, The New York Times’ Joe Drape mused on what might have been had Barbaro not injured himself. Albertrani speculated of the Preakness, “I think you could have had an Affirmed-Alydar race.”
In his final start, Bernardini ran a good second, a mere length behind Invasor in the Breeders' Cup Classic. He was retired to Darley with a stud fee of $100,000.
By the time his progeny debuted in 2010, “practically everyone had Darley’s young stallion Bernardini tabbed as a top sire prospect,” wrote The Blood-Horse’s Avalyn Hunter.
His first crop contained four G1 winners, highlighted by colts who improved with age. Stay Thirsty replicated his sire by winning the 2012 Jim Dandy and Travers, adding the 2013 G1 Cigar Mile Handicap. In similar fashion, To Honor And Serve annexed two G2 events as a juvenile, stretching out to win the 2011 G2 Pennsylvania Derby and then shortening up to take the Cigar Mile. To Honor And Serve even outmatched Stay Thirsty in the following year’s G1 Woodward Stakes.
From Bernardini’s second crop, Alphadead-heated for a win in the 2012 Travers. A few good fillies began to emerge, starting with first-crop G1 winner AZ Warrior; sprint specialist Cavorting tallied Graded victories from six to nine furlongs. The handsome horse’s first Australian crop didn’t disappoint either, yielding five-time G1 winner Boban.
Bernardini’s 14 career G1 winners could win just about any type of race, from turf miles (Go Indy Go, in Australia) and sprint distances (Takaful) and classic-distance contests. His best runners proved both precocious as AZ Warrior and durable like Imperative, who took three editions of the G2 Charles Town Classic.
As Bernardini’s best runners retired to stud, anticipation was high. Despite his indubitable international success though, he sired no Eclipse Award winners or classic winners, and while many of his runners proved top-quality, none of them dominated their divisions as Bernardini had. The records of those who have are moderate, despite being given excellent starts at stud. But one wonders whether expectations are all they’re cracked up to be; Secretariat never had a chance at living up to the enormous burden placed on him once he retired to Claiborne. Still, he managed a 2.95 AEI and became an important broodmare sire, noted Anne Peters for TRC.
The son will come out tomorrow?
Stay Thirsty retired to Ashford Stud and stood for $17,500. He was sold a few years later. Stay Thirsty has sired only 19 stakes winners, a paltry 3%, but he has proven a good regional influence, regularly ranking at or near the top of California’s sire list. His best American runners has been the uber-consistent Mind Control, a Graded winner each season from two to five, and globetrotting G2 winner Coal Front.
Alpha proved an exciting prospect for New York when he retired to that state’s Sequel Stallions. He proved a disappointment, however, tallying only 50 winners (34%) and one stakes winner.
To Honor and Serve retired to Gainesway Farm before being sold to South Korea, where his runner Cheongdam Dokki excelled. To Honor and Serve’s 52% winner clip is better than Alpha’s, but he has only nine recorded stakes winners.
G3 winner Algorithms stood at Claiborne Farm before heading to Uruguay; he left behind Math Wizard, who took the 2019 G1 Pennsylvania Derby but hasn’t won since. Algorithms’ full brother, speedy G1 Champagne Stakes winner Greenpoint Crusader, has gotten limited opportunities, siring only 38 foals and no black-type victors. Some top sons of Bernardini, like Boban, were gelded. Other good colts, like G2 winners Art Collector and Bourbonic, have yet to retire.
Bernardini’s legacy might not come through his sons, but through his daughters. After all, he became the youngest horse to ever reach the benchmark of 50 stakes winners as a damsire, and many of his fillies are still young or have not even retired. Good runners out of Bernardini’s daughters include G1 winners Maxfield, Catholic Boy, and Colonel Liam.
Statmen
How does Bernardini rack up against his contemporaries and progenitors? From 1915 recorded foals, Bernardini got 861 winners (45%) and 80 stakes winners (4% from foals, moderate by modern standards of large books but far below the 10% clip established in past decades). In contrast, from 1,224 foals, AP Indy, pensioned in 2011 at age 22, sired 693 winners (57%) and 156 stakes winners (13%, an excellent amount in any era).
While Barbaro never survived to sire any foals, other members of the 2003 crop have proven themselves solid contributors. Ranked at 42 on the 2021 general sires list - one slot above Bernardini - is First Samurai. Like Bernardini, First Samurai was a well-bred son of a standout racehorse and stallion in Giant’s Causeway. In turn, Giant’s Causeway was arguably the best runner and sire by the inimitable Storm Cat, just as AP Indy was for Seattle Slew. First Samurai couldn’t quite live up to that in intense family history, but he’s proven himself a consistent sire for Claiborne Farm.
From 806 foals, First Samurai has gotten a few more winners than Bernardini by proportion (414, 51%, as opposed to 45%) but the same percentage of stakes winners from foals (32, or 4%). That includes millionaire Lea, who also stands at Claiborne and looks to shoulder his sire’s mantle. As Claiborne’s Walker Hancock told The Paulick Report, “People forget how proven he is, and when you look at other stallions standing at that number, you'll be hard-pressed to find one more proven than he is.”
Midnight Lute, also a member of the 2003 crop, was always a more blue-collar bargain. A son of Real Quiet (by Quiet American), the champion sprinter proved a surprisingly solid sire, considering Real Quiet was never a fashionable stud. From what one can imagine to be a different caliber of mare, he’s still gotten 413 winners from 787 foals (52%) and 33 stakes winners (4%). His progeny range from superstar mare Midnight Bisou to G1-winning turf miler Smooth Like Strait (in 2021).
Bernardini thus measures up with the best runners and sires from his crop. Many have been good, if not epic, in their successes, but how their legacies will be remembered remains to be seen.