Heartland

An impressive juvenile scorer on his only start, Heartland is by Triple Crown winner Justify, and is half-brother to Champion Two-Year-Old Colt and grade one sire Classic Empire.
   Classic Empire is by Pioneerof the Nile, a son of Empire Maker, from the Fappiano branch of Mr. Prospector. Scat Daddy, the sire of Justify, is by Johannesburg, who is something of a reverse cross to Fappiano, and Justify has a stakes winner out of a mare by Fappiano line stallion, Candy Ride (whose son, Twirling Candy, is sire of a stakes winning half-sister to Heartland). This also suggests other representatives of the Empire Maker line, like Bodemeister and Cairo Prince, and from another branch of Fappiano, maers by Unbridled’s Song and sons.
   The Gone West branch of Mr. Prospector is already working well under Justify, this cross supplying grade one winner Hard to Justify, from a mare by of Quality Road, a son of Elusive Quality (also grandsire of the dam of Justify Champion Ramatuelle) and graded stakes winner Just Cindy out of a mare by Proud Citizen.
   From other branches of Mr. Prospector, Justify has Champion Just F Y I out of a mare by Street Cry (sire of Street Sense), grade one winner Arabian Lion out of a mare by Distorted Humor and stakes winners from daughters of Curlin, City Zip and Lemon Drop Kid.
   Looking at the Northern Dancer line, Justify has European Champion and classic winner City of Troy, and five other stakes winners out of mares by Galileo, and Champion Opera Singer out of a mare by Galileo’s sire, Sadler’s Wells. In the U.S. it would be possible to introduce Sadler’s Wells through El Prado (sire of Medaglia d’Oro and Kitten’s Joy). Justify has already been very successful with mares from the Danehill branch of Danzig, getting five stakes winners, all from mares by Fastnet Rock or Danehill Dancer. This would also encourage mares by other sons of Danzig, including Hard Spun, War Front and Exchange Rate.
   Out of A.P. Indy line mares, Justify has three stakes winners from daughters of Bernardini and another out of a mare by the similarly-bred Tapit. Justify also has grade one winner Aspen Grove, by Justify out of a mare by More Than Ready.