Vindication Videos

Vindication (foaled January 28, 2000 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. Bred by Payson Stud Inc., he was sired by the 1977 U.S. Triple Crown Champion, Seattle Slew. Out of the mare Strawberry Reason, Vindication’s damsire was Strawberry Road, the international star who raced in Australia, Germany, France, Japan and the United States and who was voted the 1983 Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year and 1984 Champion Older Horse in Germany.

Vindication was purchased for $2.15 million at the 2001 Keeneland September yearling sale by Satish Sanan’s Padua Stables of Ocala, Florida who would hand him over to trainer Bob Baffert for race conditioning. Sent to the track at age two, Vindication won his first two races at Del Mar Racetrack in California then on September 14th at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky he captured the Grade III Kentucky Cup Juvenile Stakes by six lengths. He was then sent to Chicago’s Arlington Park for the 2002 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Normally run at a distance of 11/16 miles, the track setup at Arlington Park meant that year’s Juvenile was raced at 1? miles. Ridden by Mike Smith, Vindication won the race by two-and-three-quarter lengths over Kafwain and Hold That Tiger, the latter a highly-regarded colt from Ireland trained by Aidan O’Brien.

The runaway winner in the voting for 2002 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt honors, Vindication was the winterbook favorite for the following spring’s Kentucky Derby. However, as a result of a serious injury sustained early in 2003, Vindication was never able to race again and was retired.

A 2003 Keeneland Magazine article by Deirdre B. Biles called Vindication “one of the hottest stallion prospects in the country.” [1]

John G. Sikura purchased a one-third interest in the breeding rights to Vindication and since 2004 the horse has been standing at stud at his Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Lexington, Kentucky.