A Look Back at A.P. Indy's Hollywood Futurity

In conjunction with Tom Hall's Throwback Thursday features in BloodHorse Daily, BloodHorse.com each Thursday will present corresponding race stories from the pages of the magazine. This week is a recap of the 1991 Hollywood Futurity (gr. I) at Hollywood Park, written by Robert Henwood with the headline "Indy's 500: Summer Squall's half brother, A.P. Indy, won the half-million-dollar Hollywood Futurity," from the Dec. 28, 1991 issue.

The world's most expensive yearling of 1990, a half-brother to Summer Squall who cost $2.9 million, won the final grade I race of 1991. Tomonori Tsurumaki's A.P. Indy, by Seattle Slew, came four wide into the stretch of the Hollywood Futurity (gr. I) and held Dance Floor safe through the stretch to win by a neck.

Eddie Delahoussaye, who never went to the stick on A.P. Indy, won rather cleverly.

"He had him (Dance Floor) measured just right," Delahoussaye said. "I knew I had him so there was no point hitting my horse. I don't believe he cares for the stick that much."

A record 14 juveniles lined up for the 11th Futurity, a $599,000 race reduced from $1 million guaranteed last year. The distance was upped again to 1 1/16 miles after six runnings at one mile. Dance Floor was slightly favored with the crowd of 13,317, with A.P. Indy and Star of the Crop co-second choices at 3-1.

Real West set the pace through modest fractions of :23, :46 4/5, and 1:11, carrying his speed into the stretch. Dance Floor waited for room on the rail in fifth position as A.P. Indy came wide from ninth early. 

A.P. Indy started from post position 11 and was outside the entire trip, but Delahoussaye was not worried.

"Everybody was getting cramped up inside," the rider said. "He's a big, long-striding colt. I figured losing a bit of ground would be better than having to stop and start again.

"When (Chris) Antley got up with me in the stretch—he may have got a head I front—he just didn't keep running so I said, 'Well, I'll just wait a little longer.'"

A.P. Indy had finished fourth in a maiden special weight race at Del Mar in August then won a similar race by four lengths at Oak Tree in October. Neil Drysdale then sent him north to Bay Meadows for a facile three-length win in his Futurity prep, a mile allowance race on Dec. 4.

"We ran him up there because the races here didn't fill," Drysdale said. "He needed that race and it gave him a lot of confidence.

"Noel O'Callaghan of the BBA (Ireland) bought him and I was approached about training him later on. This is the first horse I've had for Mr. Tsurumaki, and I have a couple of yearlings."

Drysdale trained A.P. Indy's dam, Weekend Surprise, during the winter of 1984 when the dual grade III winner finished second in the La Canada Stakes (gr. I).

"The mother ran on, Summer Squall ran on, and Seattle Slew can't hurt; so I don't think there will be any limitation on this horse's distance ability," said Drysdale, who trained 1985 champion 2-year-old colt Tasso.

Oaktown Stable's Dance Floor, a $90,000 yearling, was 5 1/2 lengths clear of 52-1 Casual Lies at the Futurity's end. Dance Floor had won Keeneland's Breeders' Futurity (gr. II) and Churchill Downs' Brown and Williamson Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. III) under the care of trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Delahoussaye, who won the 1982 Futurity with Roving Boy, gave Drysdale his first win in the race as A.P. Indy banked $329,780 for the win. The colt's final time was 1:42 4/5.

The Futurity was the first Hollywood race ever covered live by ESPN's "Racing Across America." Six of the runners were supplemented at $25,000 apiece.

Drysdale said Tsurumaki had planned to come from Tokyo for the Futurity, but stayed home to watch another of his horses run. The owner also bought the second-highest-priced yearling colt of 1990, a $2 million Fappiano full brother to Tappiano, which Drysdale said won well in Tokyo on Japan Cup (Jpn-I) day.

Kent Desormeaux finished last on longshot Top Seantor in the Futurity, but the ninth race brought the 21-year-old rider his 2,000th win. He is the youngest rider to reach the plateau.