Unbridled Express is Indiana Stallion of the Year

The state-bred success of Unbridled Express ' progeny earned for him and his owners, Bernie Flint and Ron Hillerich, top honors as Indiana Stallion of the Year and Stallion Owner of the Year.

The awards are determined solely on earnings in Indiana in 2019. The owner or lessee of a registered Indiana stallion whose registered progeny have won any race at Indiana Grand earns 10% of the gross purse for all stakes, allowance, and claiming races (except when entered for a claiming price of less than $10,000). All stallion awards are paid directly to the winning owner from the program.

After three years among the top five, Unbridled Express reached the top of the Indiana sire standings with 14 winners from 29 starters in 2019 (including six repeat winners) and progeny earnings of $1,089,725. His top performers include 2019 Indiana Horse of the Year Unbridled Class ($255,695), Mystery Unbridled ($149,582), and Super Jen ($97,108). Unbridled Class won the Merrillville Stakes and was the runner-up in the Mari Hulman George Memorial Stakes and Richmond Stakes. Mystery Unbridled won the To Much Coffee Stakes, while Super Jen won the Indiana Stallion Stakes.

Swifty Farms' 16-year-old gray son of Unbridled's Song earned $117,696.80 in Indiana stallion awards in 2019 alone. The remaining top stallions of 2019 include: Sangaree, Skylord, Lantana Mob, and Noble's Promise.

"We set out to create a brand in Indiana 10 years ago, and I think we succeeded at that," Hillerich said. "I think Unbridled Express has proven, without any doubt, that he is a tremendous stallion, and if you look at the statistics, they do the talking."

The award comes 20 years after the partnership was established. Flint and Hillerich met in 1992 thanks to a claimer, but the breeding aspect of their partnership didn't come to fruition until Hillerich and his law partner purchased a mare named My Sea Castles (Polish Navy, sire of Sea Hero). Prior to selling the mare, they bred her to the stallion Sky Classic. That result was a filly named Skye Castles. Hillerich, his law partner, and Flint then later bred Skye Castles to Unbridled's Song for a 2004 colt that became Unbridled Express. At 2, the colt won in his second start and finished third in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) before injury derailed his racing career.

Flint and Hillerich had been actively breeding in Kentucky, but they were enticed by the Indiana Thoroughbred Breed Development Program.

"We thought with his bloodline and his talent, it was a shame if we didn't try to see what we could do with him as a stallion," Hillerich. said. "So we decided to try him in Indiana."

Hillerich said his partnership with Flint is what makes successes like Unbridled Express possible.

"He's not just a trainer to me, he's a best friend. He's just a wonderful man and a great horseman. We're 50/50 on everything, and I let Bernie make the call on the horses as to when and where they're going to run. I may put my 2 cents in, but it's all deferred to Bernie," he said. "Sometimes I feel he doesn't get the credit he deserves. He's truly a great horseman and always, always does the best thing for the horse. And that's what I like."