Last year’s leading freshman sire by graded stakes winners, graded stakes performers, Grade 1 winners and Grade 1 performers, MCKINZIE kicked off the new year on Thursday at Turfway Park when his daughter Girl Math won a Maiden Special Weight.
Racing under the lights going a mile, the race favorite was slow away but quickly got herself into good position. Racing just a few lengths off the leader down the backstretch, she was set for a big run in the turn and did exactly that once the field hit the stretch.
A strong rally saw the filly get to the front in the final furlong and win by three quarters of a length as the first winner of the year for her sire.
Finishing in the top two in four of her five starts, the Rodolphe Brisset trainee runs in WinStar Farm’s colors.
A $300,000 OBS April purchase by WinStar from Cortez Racing and Sales, she was bred by Don Alberto out of the Grade 3 winning Sacristy. That mare has also produced stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Flor de la Mar and stakes winner and Grade 3-placed Catiche.
Sacristy is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Mozo Superflame and to the dam of Grade 1 winner Qafila among others.
MCKINZIE bred to A.P. Indy granddaughters with the group also including MCKINZIE’s dual Grade 1 winner Chancer McPatrick.