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MCKINZIE Entrants Lead Gainesway-Sired Charge In Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1)

May 1, 2025

MCKINZIE has gone from strength to strength, first as a racehorse and now as a sire with his runners already looking elite. The stallion’s first runners are just 3-year-olds, and he is one of only two stallions to have entrants in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) alongside Medaglia d’Oro.

Grandview Equine-bred Baeza was the headliner for MCKINZIE at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale when bringing $1.2 million to top the third session and he’s now looking to become dam Puca’s third classic winner in as many years in the Kentucky Derby.

The colt nearly became a Grade 1 winner in his stakes debut last month when entered in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Only the Kentucky Derby morning line favorite could best him in that race with Baeza running Journalism to within three-quarters of a length with the rest of the field over eight lengths behind. The start came one race after he broke his maiden by 4 ¾ lengths going one mile on the dirt.

The stallion’s Kentucky Oaks runner is the talented Quickick, bred by Gainesway and Whisper Hill Farm and sold twice by Gainesway.

That filly was one of four Grade 1 horses for MCKINZIE in 2024 and made a big impact on the juvenile fillies scene. Second in the Alcibiades S. (G1) by just 1 ¼ lengths, she backed that finish up with a third place run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), one spot ahead of MCKINIZE’s Scottish Lassie.

The great TAPIT is set to add to his legend this weekend when he plays a big part in the pedigrees of four Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders and three Kentucky Oaks (G1) entrants.

TAPIT’s Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Sandman leads the charge for his sire as the only TAPIT-sired runner in the Kentucky Derby. The colt was a consistent on the Oaklawn path to the Derby with a runner up finish in the Southwest S. (G3) in his 2025 debut before finishing third in the Rebel S. (G2) the following month. His 2 ½ length Arkansas Derby win saw him beat all but one horse by seven lengths as his fourth stakes placing after he finished third in the Street Sense S. (G3) as a juvenile.

Bred by Lothenbach Stables, Sandman has impressed from the start, bringing $1.2 million last year as a 2-year-old.

TAPIT has entered the sire-of-sire ranks in recent years, but his legacy goes even farther in this year’s Kentucky Derby. His son Constitution is the grandsire of Tiztastic – a colt by TAPIT’s grandson Tiz The Law. Tiztastic is also one of three runners for TAPIT out of his daughters.

Tiztastic was another final Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race winner when he won the Louisiana Derby (G2) by 2 ¼ lengths. He is joined by Virginia Derby winner American Promise and Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) winner Final Gambit as runners with TAPIT on the bottom side of their pedigree.

In the Kentucky Oaks, TAPIT doesn’t have a runner as a sire, but is the broodmare sire of three runners – Santa Anita Oaks (G2) winner Tenma, Gazelle S. (G3) winner Ballerina d’Oro, and Bourbonette Oaks winner Bless The Broken.

KARAKONTIE’s Flying Mohawk has blossomed his last three starts and is looking to become his sire’s third Grade 1 winner in the Kentucky Derby.

The colt bred by John O’Meara earned his way into the Derby on March 22 when he finished second to Final Gambit in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) in his only Road to the Kentucky Derby start. Final Gambit is one of the Kentucky Derby runners out of TAPIT daughters.

The Kentucky Oaks is set to run at 5:51p.m. ET on Friday with the Kentucky Derby scheduled for 6:57p.m. ET on Saturday.