Independence Hall to stand at WinStar Farm

Independence Hall, a resounding 7 ¼-length winner of the Fayette S. (G2) at Keeneland on Oct. 30 and a romping 12 ¼-length winner of the 2019 Nashua Stakes (G3) as an undefeated 2-year-old, will stand stud at WinStar Farm at the conclusion of his racing career, the farm announced today. He will stand for a fee of $10,000 and he will participate in WinStar’s Dream Big Program, which offers breeders the opportunity to earn a lifetime breeding right.

Independence Hall is currently being pointed to either the Clark Handicap (G1) Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs or the Cigar Mile (G1) at Aqueduct on Dec. 4 and his fee is subject to change following his next start.

From the first crop of WinStar stallion Constitution, the leading Third-Crop Sire of 2021, Independence Hall was an electric 2-year-old. He was undefeated as a juvenile, winning the first two starts of his career by a combined 17 lengths. In his career debut, he won a maiden special weight by 4 ¾ lengths with speed to spare. He jumped straight into graded company in just his second lifetime start, taking the $150,000 Nashua Stakes (G3) in impressive fashion. After stalking the early pace in the one-mile event, Independence Hall simply engulfed his rivals around the far turn and ran up the score in the lane, ultimately winning by 12 ¼ lengths, stopping the clock in 1:34.66 and earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 101—the fastest Beyer of any 2-year-old that year.

“Two-year-old form is so important when standing a stallion,” said Elliott Walden, WinStar’s president, CEO, and racing manager. “Independence Hall’s striking looks combined with his fast figures at two make him a great option at this price point.”

In the Fayette, Independence Hall proved uncatchable. Hustled to the early lead by Javier Castellano, Independence Hall set all the pace in the 1 1/8-mile test. He shrugged off a brief challenge from multiple Grade 1 winner Code of Honor at the top of the lane and rolled to the wire to win by daylight, earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 105 in the sensational effort for trainer Michael McCarthy.

In addition to his impressive stakes victories, Independence Hall finished second to Knicks Go in the $400,000 Lukas Classic Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs on Oct. 2 and was third in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) in January.

All told, Independence Hall has won five of 13 career starts thus far, placed in four others, and earned $874,000 for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Twin Creeks Racing Stables, WinStar Farm, and Robert and Kathleen Verratti. The dark bay colt, a stakes winner at two, three, and four from 6 ½ furlongs to nine furlongs over all track conditions, was bred in Kentucky by Woodford Thoroughbreds.

“When we bought into him after he broke his maiden, he reminded me of his daddy—a great-looking horse with speed. He’s pure athleticism, that’s what I look for,” said Randy Gullatt of Twin Creeks Racing Stables. “We will support him like we did Constitution.”

Independence Hall is out of the multiple stakes-producing Cape Town mare Kalahari Cat, dam of Grade 3 winner Black Onyx, stakes winner and Graded stakes-placed Francois, and Grade 2-placed Quality Council. He hails from the immediate family of Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) winner Desert Stormer and multiple Grade 1 winner Better Lucky.