The freshman sire with the most six-figure weanlings at the November sales, MCKINZIE continued to prove popular this week at the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale with his seven sold averaging $130,000 with a median of $135,000.
That group was led by a $250,000 colt selling on the second day when purchased by P B Bloodstock. Offered by Four Star Sales, the colt out of winning Candy Ride mare Sweet Talkin is a half-brother to Grade 3 winner Cavalry Charge. Producing two winners from three to race, Sweet Talkin is one of eight winners from her own dam with that mare’s four stakes winners including Grade 1 winner Adieu.
Also on the colt’s page are stakes winners Laurie’s Rocket and Greeley’s Rocket, with both produced by Sweet Talkin’s half-sister. That mare is also the granddam of multiple stakes winner Necker Island.
On the first day of selling, a MCKINZIE filly out of stakes winner Sisterhood sold for $220,000 to Peter Pugh from Hunter Valley Farm. Signed for on behalf of Cherry Knoll Farm, the filly is a half-sister to stakes winner In The Mood with each of her first three dams producing stakes winners.
Sisterhood herself is one of three stakes performers for Caterette, who is also the dam of stakes winner and Grade 2 placed Cozy Kitten and Grade 3-placed Becky’s Kitten. The family has proven to pass on their producing prowess through the generations with multiple mares under the filly’s four dams on the page also producing stakes winners.
The filly was the second highest priced yearling filly of the day with a $135,000 MCKINZIE colt the sixth most expensive yearling colt of the session.
Purchased by Muir Hut Stables, that colt was one of the first to go through the ring when sold as Hip 4 from Taylor Made Sales Agency. A grandson of Grade 3 winner and multiple Grade 1-placed Theysken’stheory, the colt also hails from the family of U.S. Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Stevie Wonderboy and U.S. Champion Turf Male Big Blue Kitten.
In all, there are eight stakes winners and nine stakes performers overall on the page.
The next day, another MCKINZIE yearling was purchased by Kim Valerio for $135,000 out of Illicit Affair. Consigned by Stuart Morris as agent for Highclere, Rabanal and Wilkes, the filly’s granddam is the two-time champion Silverbulletday.
A half-sister to stakes placed Tice, Illicit Affair is also a three-quarter sister in blood to Grade 1 winner Shakin It Up and Grade 3 winner Governor Charlie. Illicit Affair has produced two winners from two to race and the filly’s page has seven stakes performers with five of those winning stakes and four winning graded stakes.
“He’s really jumped through all the hoops and shown the quality that he has, and showing that with his foals,” Gainesway’s Ryan Norton told Paulick Report of MCKINZIE. “We’re excited to see how these yearlings come along this summer and fall.”
Kicking the sales off on the right note this year, MCKINZIE leads all first-crop sires with more than one sold by average and by gross. This follows on from November sales that saw 33 of his first weanlings sell for a $134,032 average and $135,000 median led by a $300,000 colt.