The richest ever son of harness racing super sire American Ideal is standing for the first time ever in the Southern Hemisphere at Empire Stallions.
Sensational USA 3-Year-Old Pacer of the Year and Breeders Crown Champion Heston Blue Chip 2,1:50.4; 3,1:48 ($1,781,881) has been issued an international passport and is headed to Empire Stallions in Victoria to stand the upcoming 2015/16 breeding season.
Heston Blue Chip defeated the best of his generation while winning 34 times and banking over $1.8 in earnings.
He set 9 track and stakes records while competing on the Grand Circuit and in the highly competitive New York Sires Stakes at 2 & 3.
As a two-year-old, Heston Blue Chip won 11 of 13 starts with 2 second place finishes while earning $375,650.
His most prestigious win at 2 was the $177,275 Matron Stakes at Dover Downs which he won by three-quarters of a length in a brilliant 1:50.4.
That time set the stakes record, equaled the track record and was one-fifth of a second off the world record for two-year-old colt pacers on a five-eighths mile track.
Other Grand Circuit wins at 2 included the John Simpson Memorial at Vernon Downs and the Tompkins Geers Stakes where he equaled the stakes record with a 1:52 effort.
Also at 2, Heston was a standout in the New York Sires Stakes arena winning 7 Sire Stakes events at 6 different tracks including the $175,000 2YO New York Sires Stakes Championship with a track record 1:53.3 performance at Saratoga Raceway.
Heston Blue Chip was New York’s 2YO Pacing Colt of the Year.
Heston Blue Chip returned at 3 to take the harness racing world by storm.
The defining moment of this stellar 3-year-old season was his victory in both the elimination and Final of the $555,000 3YO Breeders Crown.
Heston Blue Chip went off as the favourite in both events and did not disappoint winning the 1:50.3 elimination over Sweet Lou and A Rocknroll Dance.
In a great stretch run duel in the Final, Heston Blue Chip prevailed over Sweet Lou and Bettors Edge to win in 1:49.2.
It was an absolute romp for Heston Blue Chip in the Progress Pace elimination where he defeated Thinking Out Loud and Sweet Lou by more than 5 metres in 1:49.3.
Heston Blue Chip was untouchable in the $270,000 Final reaching the opening quarter in a slick :25.2 – the fastest quarter ever recorded at Dover Downs.
He rolled on by the half in :54 and stopped the clock in a Stakes Record 1:49 again over Bettors Edge and Sweet Lou.
In addition, Heston Blue Chip won the Historic Stakes at Tioga in a 1:49.2 track record for 3-year-old colts and swept the $270,000 Empire Breeders Classic with a 1:50.4 win in the elimination and set yet another track record with a sizzling 1:48.4 performance in the Final.
Heston Blue Chip again dominated in the New York Sire Stakes program winning 4 events.
These victories were a $113,413 leg at Yonkers, a $66,848 leg also at Yonkers, a leg at Monticello Raceway in 1:52.4 with a :26.3 last quarter and a leg at Tioga Downs when he equaled his own 1:49.2 track standard.
Heston Blue Chips final start at 3 was a memorable win in the Final of the $176,663 Matron Stakes.
He demonstrated his great turn of foot when he paced the fastest mile in Dover Downs’ history winning in a sizzling 1:48 over the 5/8ths mile oval.
Heston Blue Chip also won eliminations for The Meadowlands Pace, Cane Pace and the Jersey Cup.
Heston Blue Chip tallied up 14 wins and 2 placings from 18 starts while earning over $1 Million that season at 3 on his way to being awarded tops honours.
Heston Blue Chip was voted the USA 3YO Colt Pacer of the Year in a crop that included Sweet Lou and A Rocknroll Dance.
Heston Blue Chip was a nine-time Open, Preferred, FFA and Invitational Winner at The Meadowlands, Yonkers, Tioga, Saratoga and Harrah’s Philadelphia at 4 & 5.
He established a new track record at Tioga Downs for 4-year-old pacing stallions with a 1:49.2 victory.
Heston Blue Chip was retired to commence his stallion duties and is standing his first season at Winbak Farms in New York in 2015.
Heston Blue Chip was trained by Linda Toscano, the all-time leading trainer at The Meadowlands and the first woman to ever train a Hambletonian winner.
“He was clearly the best New York Sires Stakes colt at two and three setting multiple track records on all sized tracks.
In his Breeders Crown win, Heston Blue Chip beat the best of the best including Sweet Lou.
If that isn’t enough, he’s one of the kindest, nicest and happiest horses I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with.
He’s a great-gaited individual who wore no boots and a 63” hobble.
"He’s a special horse,” Toscano said.
Tim Tetrick who recently visited Australia & New Zealand to compete in the World Driving Championship was Heston Blue Chips regular driver.
“I really enjoyed racing Heston Blue Chip”, said Tetrick.
“From the first time I raced him in a baby race at 2, I knew he was extremely talented,” Tetrick continued.
“He is a beautiful animal, big, strong and athletic on his feet and could leave the gate lightning fast."
"He had a great attitude and a will to win and that usually transfers to a stallion’s offspring."
"If his offspring have his attitude and desire, they will be great colts and fillies,” Tim said.
Heston Blue Chip represents one of the world’s hottest sire lines today – his sire American Ideal is by super sire Western Ideal.
From his first 5 North American crops to race, American Ideal is already the sire of 201 in 1:55, 19 in 1:50 or faster, 100 winners of $100,000+ and over $35.4 Million in progeny earnings.
With his $1.7 million in race earnings, Heston Blue Chip is his sire’s richest son.
In the Southern Hemisphere, American Ideal is the sire of 370 winners with earnings of over $6.5 million from 5 crops to race.
His top Australian performers include multiple GR1 Winner & Breeders Crown Champion Bling It On 1:51 ($829,422) and the 2015 GR1 NSW Derby Winner Ideal For Real 1:55.8 ($172,185).
Heston Blue Chip hails from one of the sport’s best maternal families.
He is the first foal out of the unraced Cams Card Shark mare Shot Togo Bluechip.
His full brother is 2013 Adios Winner Sunfire Blue Chip ($917,374) and their half-sister sold at Harrisburg last year for $160,000.
His second dam, CC’s Saleofcentury by Real Artist is a full sister to Just Wait Kate 1:54.4 ($387,931), Kiss Me Kate 1:51.3 ($283,839) and the $1.4 million winner Kikikatie 1:50.3, dam of Rockin Image 1:48.2 ($901,756) by Rocknroll Hanover, Time To Roll 1:49.3 ($781,249) by Rocknroll Hanover, Rockin Amadeus 1:48.4 ($728,392) by Rocknroll Hanover and Tellitlikeitis 1:48.4 ($490,695) by Well Said.
This is the immediate family of Camluck, North America’s leading pacing sire for many years.
“Heston Blue Chip is a wonderful addition our stallion roster this season” said David James, owner of Empire Stallions.
“He is American Ideal’s first and only son to stand at stud in the southern hemisphere and with the current success of the Western Ideal sire line down under, Heston is a great new option for breeders.
He is just a magnificent looking dark bay stallion with a fluid gait, outstanding conformation and excellent fertility.
"His credentials speak for themselves.”
Heston Blue Chip will stand for a very attractive fee of $5,500 including GST and discounts apply.
His progeny will be Vicbred eligible as well as eligible to the Breeders Crown, Bathurst Gold Crown and the NSW Breeders Challenge.
Courtesy of Empire Stallions