They say save the best for last. That could be the case at the Ocala Breeders' Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training April 19 as the last session will see Hip 1143, who tied for the sale's co-fastest quarter-mile breeze, enter the ring.
Bred by Brent and Beth Harris in Kentucky, Hip 1143 is a daughter of Gainesway stallion McKinzie out of the winning D'wildcat mare D'fashion. The filly is a half sister to the Archarcharch mare Strategic Dreams, an earner of $219,900 who won the Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel Park as a 2-year-old in 2017. At age 3 in 2018, Strategic Dreams won the listed Ruthless Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack and placed in the Soaring Softly Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park. Strategic Dreams' full brother, D'archer, was an eight-time winner.
This 2-year-old filly caught the attention of buyers on the final day of the under tack show April 14, flashing a quarter mile in :20 1/5—the fastest breeze of the day at that distance and tying the all-time OBS mark.
"We expected her to work well," said consignor Eddie Woods. "She's very nice, very quick. She's always been one of those instant horses. We like her quite a bit."
The McKinzie filly's time tied that of Hip 365, a Tiz the Law filly, for the fastest quarter-mile breeze of the sale. That filly, consigned by Tom McCrocklin, sold April 17 to agent Donato Lanni, on behalf of Michael Lund Petersen, for $1.9 million.
A $65,000 RNA at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale last fall, the McKinzie filly has drawn attention at the Ocala sale after her quick breeze.
"It's pretty solid right now," Woods said of the interest she's receiving from buyers. "After she breezed, she got quite busy. She deserves to sell well."
The filly is a member of McKinzie's first crop. Winning eight times and finishing second six times in 18 starts, McKinzie's accomplishments include four grade 1 victories among seven graded stakes wins, four additional grade 1 placings, and career earnings of $3,473,360. He stands for $30,000.
Woods has had several members of McKinzie's first crop and has been impressed by the stallion.
"They're really nice horses," Woods said. "They train well—solid, professional-acting horses. They're quick enough, but still look like they're going to go a route of ground."
He was not the only one who likes the stallion's potential, as McKinzie's offspring did quite well at yearling sales last year. Of 157 yearlings offered in 2023, 120 sold for a total of more than $17.7 million. The average sales price was $147,744.
His top-selling yearling from his initial crop is a colt out of the famed Big Brown mare Puca. Consigned by Runnymede Farm, the half brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage and current Kentucky Derby contender Dornoch sold to Mayberry Farm for $1.2 million at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Through April 17, McKinzie has had 15 2-year-olds sell at auction from 20 offered, for total sales of $2,722,500 and an average price of $181,500.
His sales topper to date has been Pecos River, a colt out of the winning Holy Bull mare Breech Inlet. Wavertree Stables consigned him at the Ocala Breeders' March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where he sold for $750,000 to Bill Childs after breezing a furlong in :09 4/5.
Woods also consigns a pair of McKinzies that will sell during the third session April 18 and have been attracting looks from buyers.
Hip 659 is a colt bred in Kentucky by Dixiana Farms out of The Factor mare Sold It, winner of the 2019 California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields. Sold It, who has no other foals of racing age, is a half sister to the Quality Road gelding Ego, a nine-time winner who has earned $249,766.
"He's a good, solid horse," Wood said of Hip 659 before adding that he believes the colt will prefer going two turns.
During the under tack show, the colt ran a furlong in :10, as did another McKinzie filly consigned by Woods, Hip 837.
Bred in Kentucky by Gina Fennell, the filly is out of the stakes-placed Into Mischief mare Vision of Justice. The filly is a half to the Vino Rosso 3-year-old filly Diane's Merlot, a two-time winner from six starts in her young career.
"She's a nice filly," Woods said. "She's a little bit immature, but she moves well. And like all the McKinzies, a very kind, sensible thing."
