First Defence, United States to Saudi Arabia

Grade I winner First Defence   and the winning A.P. Indy son United States   have been sold and relocated to Saudi Arabia.

Juddmonte Farms homebred First Defence, a 12-year-old son of Unbridled's Song, has been sold to Haif Stud. The deal was brokered by Chad Schumer of Schumer Bloodstock and Khalid Alsyari.

The sire of 2014 champion older mare Close Hatches, First Defence entered stud at Juddmonte Farms in Central Kentucky in 2009. He has sired seven other black-type winners, including English group III winner Dundonnell, French group III winner Antonoe, and multiple grade III winner Irish Jasper, who won the Adena Springs Miss Preakness Stakes.

First Defence is out of grade I winner Honest Lady, a Seattle Slew half sister to grade I winners and successful sires Empire Maker   and Chester House. His granddam, Toussaud, is a grade I winner and a renowned matriarch of Juddmonte's operation, having also produced grade I winner Chiselling and grade II winner Decarchy  .

Trained by the late Bobby Frankel on behalf of Juddmonte Farms, First Defence won six of 14 starts for $580,534 in earnings. He was a top-class sprinter who won graded stakes on dirt and turf. His best performances included a victory in the 2008 grade III Jaipur Handicap at Belmont Park before taking the grade I Forego Handicap by 6 3/4 lengths at Saratoga Race Course. He also won the Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes at Monmouth Park and was second in both the King's Bishop Stakes (gr. I) and the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (gr. II).

Joining First Defence at Haif Stud is United States, who stood the 2016 season at Northwest Farm near Ocala, Fla. 

United Stakes is the sire of 2015 Puerto Rican champion 2-year-old filly La Irunesa from three small crops to race; he has 41 foals of racing age.

The nine-length winner of his maiden at Gulfstream Park, he is by A.P. Indy out of Blithe (Unbridled), a half sister to international sire Fusaichi Pegasus   from the immediate family of Pine Bluff.