Constitution's dirt dominance points to Classic potential
Who will be the next Breeders' Cup Classic-winning sire? Constitution has a real chance at adding his name to the list. A look at his sire stats reveals why.
Constitution raced for and stands at WinStar Farm in Kentucky. For the 2025 breeding season, his stud fee was $110,000, topping all of the classy sires at the farm. Constitution is a son of Tapit who captured the Grade 1 Florida Derby and Donn Handicap (G1) during his racing career, earning over $820,000. The sire has proven himself as a quality stallion with 24 graded-stakes winners among his offspring, including Breeders' Cup Classic contender Mindframe, who won the Churchill Downs (G1) and Stephen Foster (G1). His progeny have accumulated nearly $65 million in earnings from 6,809 starts, showing consistency and quality.
Surface analysis: Dirt dominance
With quality across surfaces, Constitution's offspring demonstrate clear preferences across racing surfaces, with their strongest performance on dirt tracks, where they excel in win percentage and earnings.
| Surface | Sts | W | W% | Avg HRN | $/start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dirt | 4179 | 701 | 16.8% | 88 | $10,074 |
| Turf | 1967 | 279 | 14.2% | 89 | $9,770 |
| Synthetic | 663 | 98 | 14.8% | 87 | $5,362 |
| Overall | 6809 | 1078 | 15.8% | 88 | $9,528 |
Constitution runners win most frequently on dirt at 16.8%, compared to 14.8% on synthetic and 14.2% on turf. Earnings per start also are highest on dirt at $10,074, nearly doubling the synthetic surface earnings. Horse Racing Nation speed figures remain consistent across surfaces, with turf runners averaging the highest at 89.
Distance analysis: Route superiority
Constitution's progeny show effectiveness at both sprint and route distances, with notable advantages in longer races.
| Distance | Sts | W | W% | Avg HRN | $/start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint | 3208 | 491 | 15.3% | 86 | $7,403 |
| Route | 3601 | 587 | 16.3% | 91 | $11,420 |
Route runners demonstrate superior performance with higher win percentages, 16.3% vs. 15.3%, and significantly better earnings per start, $11,420 vs. $7,403. HRN speed figures also favor route distances at 91 compared to 86 for sprints. His top earner, Tiz the Law, won the Belmont Stakes when it was run at 1 1/8 miles and the Travers (G1) at 1 1/4 miles.
Surface and distance combinations: Dirt routes excel
Analyzing the combination of surface and distance reveals where Constitution's offspring perform at their peak.
| Surface/ Distance |
Sts | W | W% | Avg HRN | $/start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dirt sprint | 2398 | 376 | 15.7% | 87 | $7,093 |
| Dirt route | 1781 | 325 | 18.3% | 90 | $14,089 |
| Turf sprint | 494 | 67 | 13.6% | 79 | $10,332 |
| Turf route | 1473 | 212 | 14.4% | 92 | $9,582 |
| Synth sprint | 316 | 48 | 15.2% | 86 | $5,179 |
| Synth route | 347 | 50 | 14.4% | 88 | $5,529 |
Dirt routes emerge as the clear strength, with an 18.3% win rate and earnings of $14,089 per start. This category also produces strong HRN speed figures of 90. Turf routes show the highest speed figures at 92, and synthetic surfaces lag behind in both categories. Webslinger and Neat both are turf routers with Grade 2 wins.
Distance preferences: Strength across all ranges
Constitution's offspring demonstrate versatility across various distance ranges, with outstanding performance at the longest distances.
| Distance Range | Sts | W | W% | Avg HRN | $/start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 6F | 883 | 161 | 18.2% | 77 | $6,970 |
| 6F to 6.5F | 1861 | 265 | 14.2% | 89 | $6,953 |
| 6.51F to 8F | 2276 | 376 | 16.5% | 90 | $8,875 |
| 8.01F to 9F | 1680 | 258 | 15.4% | 91 | $12,172 |
| Greater than 9F | 109 | 18 | 16.5% | 104 | $47,085 |
At distances shorter than six furlongs, Constitution runners achieve their highest win rate at 18.2%. But at distances greater than nine furlongs, they produce exceptional HRN speed figures of 104 and earnings per start of $47,085, though this represents only 109 total starts.
Gender analysis: Balanced performance
Constitution's offspring show relatively balanced performance between genders, with males holding slight advantages in key metrics.
| Gender | Sts | W | W% | Avg HRN | $/start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 3756 | 614 | 16.4% | 93 | $11,217 |
| Female | 3053 | 464 | 15.2% | 83 | $7,450 |
Males outperform females with a higher win percentage, 16.4% vs. 15.2%, superior HRN speed figures, 93 vs. 83, and significantly higher earnings per start $11,217 vs. $7,450. His top female performers include Pin Up Betty, a Grade 3 winner on turf, and Laura's Light, a Grade 2 winner on dirt.
Wet track performance: Maintaining consistency
Constitution's offspring adapt well to different track conditions, showing solid performance on both wet and off tracks.
| Surface/ Condition |
Sts | W | W% | Avg HRN | $/start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dirt sprint wet | 420 | 65 | 15.5% | 87 | $7,546 |
| Dirt route wet | 399 | 79 | 19.8% | 88 | $11,864 |
| Turf sprint wet | 79 | 14 | 17.7% | 81 | $8,891 |
| Turf route wet | 201 | 30 | 14.9% | 94 | $10,768 |
On wet dirt routes, Constitution runners excel with a 19.8% win rate, actually surpassing their overall dirt route performance. Wet turf sprint performance is also strong at 17.7%.
Development pattern: Steady improvement
Constitution's offspring show a typical progression pattern through their early racing experiences.
| Experience | Sts | W | W% | Avg HRN | $/start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First start | 553 | 83 | 15.0% | 75 | $7,825 |
| Second start | 508 | 79 | 15.6% | 82 | $12,388 |
| Third start | 464 | 67 | 14.4% | 84 | $11,694 |
HRN speed figures improve consistently from 75 on debut to 84 by the third start. Earnings per start also increase substantially from first to second starts.
Age comparison: Peak at 4 years
Constitution's progeny show continued development through their racing careers, with performance varying by age group.
| Age | Sts | W | W% | Avg HRN | $/start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2YO | 945 | 139 | 14.7% | 76 | $11,091 |
| 3YO | 2842 | 462 | 16.3% | 87 | $10,982 |
| 4YO | 2174 | 356 | 16.4% | 91 | $9,764 |
| 5YO+ | 1964 | 308 | 15.7% | 93 | $6,587 |
Constitution runners reach their highest win percentages at ages 3 and 4, 16.3% and 16.4% respectively, while maintaining strong HRN speed figures that continue improving with age, reaching 93 for 5-year-olds and older.
Outlook
Constitution has established himself as a consistently successful sire with particular strengths on dirt and at route distances. His graded-stakes winners include standouts such as Mindframe, Tiz the Law and Independence Hall, demonstrating his ability to produce top-level talent. With strong performance metrics across most categories and proven versatility, Constitution continues to be a valuable stallion for breeders seeking quality and consistency in their foals.
Will he be the next Breeders' Cup Classic sire? Mindframe has a lot riding on his bay shoulders.