He stands alone in the annals of Thoroughbred racing, the only Triple Crown winner sired by a Triple Crown winner.
Omaha had big shoes to fill when he was foaled at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky. on March 24, 1932. His daddy was 1930 Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox who scored nine victories in 10 races and had become the greatest money winner in the history of American racing.
Although the three Triple Crown races have existed since the 1800s, and hundreds of individual horses have added their names to the lists of winners, only 12 fillies in history have won a Triple Crown race.
Those victories, though more frequent in the early years, have been few and far between; in fact, just five fillies have won a Triple Crown race during the last 100 years.
At the beginning of 1988, the attention of the racing world was focused – as usual – on the road to the Kentucky Derby. At the time, if you had asked racing fans to predict the winner of the 114th run for the roses, you might have heard support for Tejano, a four-time graded stakes winner in 1987; Forty Niner, the champion 2-year-old male; or perhaps Success Express, winner of the 1987 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
A.P. Indy was seemingly born to greatness. He was sired by Seattle Slew, a Triple Crown winner. His successful dam (mother), Weekend Surprise, was no surprise because she was sired by Secretariat, another Triple Crown champion.
Ambitious owners will pay massive sums for such regal bloodlines, so it was no shock that Japanese owner Tomonori Tsurumaki went to $2.9 million before the auctioneer’s hammer fell at Keeneland’s July yearling sale in 1990.
