New Mexico's Hesinfront Sires First Winner

Red Feather Equine's stallion Hesinfront  sired his first winner Dec. 20 when his daughter Empress in Front won by half a length in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden claiming race at Zia Park.

Owned by Cesar Mendoza and trained by Edwin Martinez, Empress in Front found success in her third career start. She now has career earnings of $29,131.

Zachary Burtt bred Empress in Front out of the winning Bodemeister  mare Gratifying, who is out of Resonating (Smart Strike), a half sister to stakes winners Pirates Deputy (Bertrando) and Winter Renaissance (Courageous Cat). Empress in Front is Gratifying's only foal.

Hesinfront is a 12-year-old son of War Front   and bred in Kentucky by the late Frank Jones Jr., who initially raced the horse with trainer Dale Romans. Jones and Romans tested Hesinfront in stakes company on turf and dirt but landed a fourth at best in the 2015 Lukas Classic Stakes. Trainer Keith Bourgeois claimed Hesinfront in 2016 for Troy Williams and captured that elusive stakes win in the Delta Mile Stakes. The horse was retired at 6 with a 7-3-6 record from 39 starts and $446,658 in earnings.

It took some time from Hesinfront to find a home as a stallion. He sired one foal in 2019 and one in 2020 before finding a home at Red Feather Equine. He has seven 2-year-olds in his first full crop and nine foals that are yearlings.

Red Feather also stands grade 3-placed winner Fear the Kitten .