Congrats, who earned nearly a million dollars during his racing career before becoming a successful sire, died of natural causes in Florida July 28. He was 25.
Racing from 2002-06 for various connections, Congrats won seven of 26 starts, competing across the country and even running fifth in the 2005 Dubai World Cup (G1) in the Middle East. His finest victory came in the 2005 San Pasqual Handicap (G2) for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella and owners/breeders Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider, and Congrats also placed that year in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) and Hollywood Gold Cup (G1).
A son of A.P. Indy, he began his stud career at Vinery in Florida before moving to Kentucky with Vinery Stud for the 2011 season. He stood at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky., beginning in 2013. In 2021, Congrats was pensioned and relocated to John Sykes' Woodford Thoroughbreds—now Danny Persaud's Persaud Legacy Farms, in Reddick, Fla.
Having shuttled to Australia at times during his stud career, Congrats was represented with runners in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. He sired 15 crops and 1,565 foals, 47 of which became black-type stakes winners, including 12 at the graded/group level. Top-level stakes winners for Congrats include four-time grade 1-winning filly Turbulent Descent, 2016 Ballerina Stakes (G1) captress Haveyougoneaway, 2010 Alcibiades (G1) winner Wickedly Perfect, and 2012 Prioress Stakes (G1) winner Emma's Encore.
Congrats also sired millionaire Bango, the current record holder for most wins in modern Churchill Downs’ racing history.
Reflecting on Congrats, Scott Kintz, owner of Six K's Training & Sales, said, "He was a neat old horse. He ran to his feed tub every morning and carried on. ... He looked great for 25-years-old."
In the final years of Congrats' life, Kintz took care of the horse. In the fall of 2023, Kintz announced his family would base their equine operation at Woodford Thoroughbreds.
"Because of my past relationship with John Sykes, when we came here, rented stalls, and the farm was shutting down, I just told him, 'I would look after his horse for the rest of his life,'" Kintz said.
Kintz added that he "felt an obligation to Congrats; I felt like he brought me here."
Kintz accompanied Congrats as the horse lay down in his stall on Monday night and died peacefully.
"I talked to Mr. Sykes about it this morning, and he was obviously upset that he had passed," Kintz said. "But he had lots of great memories of Congrats and what he did for Woodford Thoroughbreds."
