Independence Hall Prepares for Stud Duty at WinStar
Grade 1-placed, multiple graded stakes winner Independence Hall is settling in at WinStar Farm where he’ll begin his stallion career next year at $10,000, stabled across the aisle from his sire Constitution .
“Constitution represents the next generation of our stallion roster. We know there are a ton of very good and well-bred horses in the pipeline, so to bring a son of his here and create that continuity to the roster is huge,” said Liam O’Rourke, director of bloodstock at WinStar. “Physically they both have that good, clean frame and clean legs. Independence Hal stands over a lot of ground and is a good-moving horse with a pretty head that is masculine and balanced, like his daddy.”
In 2021 WinStar joined the partners racing Independence Hall that included Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Twin Creeks Racing Stables, and Robert and Kathleen Verratti. WinStar and TwinCreeks also were partners in Constitution, who won the 2014 Besilu Florida Derby (G1) and 2015 Donn Handicap (G1).
Independence Hall, initially trained by Michael Trombetta and later by Michael McCarthy, made an early first impression by winning the Nashua Stakes (G3) by 12 1/4 lengths in his second lifetime start in stakes record time of 1:34.66 at Aqueduct Racetrack. His performance earned a 107 Equibase Speed Figure. At 3, he won the Jerome Stakes by four lengths and was runner-up in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs. After an unplaced finish in the Curlin Florida Derby (G1) he was given some time off and bounced back at 4 with McCarthy to be competitive with the country’s best handicap horses. He finished a close third to eventual Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) victor Knicks Go in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and then ran second to Knicks Go in the Lukas Classic Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. Following the Lukas Classic, he returned to the winner’s circle with a 7 1/4-length win in the Hagyard Fayette Stakes (G2) at Keeneland over dual grade 1 winner Code of Honor .
Independence Hall retired with a 5-2-2 record from 14 starts and earned $881,500.
Bred in Kentucky by Woodford Thoroughbreds, Independence Hall is out of the winning Cape Town mare Kalahari Cat. He is a half brother to grade 3 winner Black Onyx , grade 3-placed stakes winner Francois , and to grade 2-placed winner Quality Council . Kalahari Cat is a half sister to graded-placed stakes winner Desert Gold, who is the dam of group 1 winner White Moonstone. His immediate family also produced Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) winner Desert Stormer , who is the dam of grade 2 winner Sahara Gold and the granddam of multiple grade 1 winner Better Lucky .
Independence Hall has been syndicated. He is also part of WinStar’s “Dream Big” program, which allows breeders to acquire a lifetime breeding right to the stallion after breeding to him for the first two years and paying the full stud fee.