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Category: Horse Racing News
McKinzie Retired to Gainesway
Four-time Grade I winner McKinzie (Street Sense–Runway Model, by Petionville) has been retired from racing and will stand stud at Gainesway in 2021, the farm announced Wednesday evening.
“McKinzie was absolutely brilliant. He was an undefeated Grade I winner at two, as well as a multiple Grade I winner and top-rated horse at three and four years of age,” Brian Graves, General Manager of Gainesway, said. “His speed, precocity and good looks make him an absolute standout.”
Purchased by Karl Watson, Michael Pegram and Paul Weitman for $170,000 at Keeneland September, the bay was named in honor of trainer Bob Baffert’s late longtime friend Brad McKinzie, a Los Alamitos executive. Tabbed a ‘TDN Rising Star’ for his debut win at Santa Anita in 2017, he crossed the line second in that year’s GI Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity S., but was promoted to first via DQ.
Kicking off his sophomore season with a win in the 2018 GIII Sham S., McKinzie was second in the GII San Felipe S. that March and was subsequently shelved. Resurfacing that September, he won the GI Pennsylvania Derby and failed to fire in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, but rebounded with a decisive win in the GI Malibu S. Second in both the 2019 GII San Pasqual S. and GI Santa Anita H., the colt was ultra-impressive when winning the GII Alysheba S. and was a close second in a salty renewal of the GI Met Mile last summer. A decisive victor of the GI Whitney S., the Baffert runner completed the exacta in both the GI Awesome Again S. and Breeders’ Cup Classic.
McKinzie made four starts this year with his best effort being a good-looking victory in the GII Triple Bend S. He retires with a record of 18-8-6-0 and earnings of $3,473,360.
“From day one, McKinzie has just been exceptional,” said Baffert. “He is a gorgeous physical with brilliant speed and stamina. I’ve only had one other horse in my career that has been able to accomplish what he’s done by winning a Grade I at two, three, and four. It takes an extraordinary horse to achieve that.”
Bred in Kentucky at Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Farm, McKinzie is out of MGSW and MGISP Runway Model, who was purchased by Lyon for $2.7-million at the 2006 KEENOV sale. Her most recent foal is the 3-year-old filly Map Maker (Liam’s Map). Runway Model has been retired from the breeding shed, but one of her older fillies Malibu Model (Malibu Moon) has now taken up broodmare duties at Summer Wind in her place.
“McKinzie is the best son of Street Sense, his Ragozin sheet numbers are as impressive as I have seen and to maintain that speed and soundness over multiple seasons takes an absolute superstar,” said Sean Tugel, Gainesway’s Director of Stallion Sales and Recruitment. “He has everything you want in a stallion prospect.”
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Albarado and McPeek Guest Star on BC Cocktails and Coversations
GI Preakness S. winner Ken McPeek and Robby Albarado will be the special guests on the Breeders’ Cup’s Cocktails & Conversations. The virtual happy hour will air Thursday at 6 p.m. on the Breeders’ Cup’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The post Albarado and McPeek Guest Star on BC Cocktails and Coversations appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
Hill ‘n’ Dale Stallions Settling in at Xalapa
A caravan of four massive Sallee Horse Vans journeyed from Fayette County to Bourbon County today to deliver the 13 members of the Hill ‘n’ Dale stallion roster to their new residence: Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa.
While Hill ‘n’ Dale President John Sikura said there was apprehension going into the big move, everything went smoothly.
“It’s kind of like when a horse goes in the starting gate–lots can go wrong,” he said. “But thanks to the quality and class of the horses and the horsemanship of everybody who was all hands on deck, the horses really sort of embarrassed us with our suspense and worry.”
Two-time Horse of the Year and Hill ‘n’ Dale flagbearer Curlin (Smart Strike) settled in quickly in his new stall nearest to the barn entrance.
“As you would expect, Curlin was the leader,” Sikura said. “Within 10 seconds of being in the stall he had his head down eating alfalfa and never turned a hair. Even Kitten’s Joy (El Prado {Ire}), who’s an excitable, high-energy horse hollered once or twice and went to his hay rack.”
For Sikura, today marked the fruition of a dream that has been on his mind for years.
“I first saw Xalapa probably 10 or 12 years ago and when I set foot on the place, it made a lasting impression,” he recalled. “I thought it was the most vivid, natural, spectacular piece of land that I’ve ever seen. I’d often dreamt about this farm and wondered about converting it into a modern, great horse farm. The opportunity came about to buy the place and I thought it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Sikura said that the development of their new acquisition has been ongoing for the past year-and-a-half.
“It’s been overwhelming as far as the depth and scope and amount of projects,” he said. “We’ve been working seven days a week, from dark to dark every day for about 18 months now. I think we’ve converted two farms of nearly 1,400 acres and maybe a decade’s worth of work in 18 months. It’s been a labor of love and emotions from overwhelming to challenging to just now starting to feel the satisfaction of seeing it all come together.”
Sikura shared that Xalapa was acquired by breeder Edward Simms after the turn of the 20th century and that Simms focused heavily on the landscaping of the property with the goal of making the estate “the Biltmore of the South.”
When Prince Palatine (Persimmon), winner of the St. Leger S. who was imported to Xalapa Farm for the later part of his stud career, perished in a stable fire, Sikura said that Simms vowed that all the barns on the property would be fireproof and so he made all the buildings of stone and concrete.
Sikura aims to maintain similar architecture in his renovations.
“I’ve done everything in very natural, earthy tones of the highest-quality material,” he said. “We’ve kept that theme without deferring our standards. It’s a lengthy process because everything is handcrafted. It’s not cookie cutter.”
While most of the heavy lifting on the undertaking is complete, Sikura is now enjoying putting on the finishing touches.
“I’ve very excited and proud of the place,” he said. “Not proud of myself, but proud of the opportunity and the stewardship that we’ve undertaken to bring this farm back to a sense of greatness. We look forward to achieving and succeeding with all that we do in a one-of-a-kind setting and the most unique farm that I believe exists.”
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