Bloodstock agent Donato Lanni has signed a $950,000 contract for Hip 644, a striking red-brown colt by McKinzie on behalf of the SF/Starlight/Madaket partnership during the third session of the Keeneland Yearling Sale in September on September 11.
Hip 644 was delivered by Gainesway to breeders Gainesway Thoroughbreds and Brian Graves. The Kentucky-bred colt is the second foal born Will be responsible Take Charge Angel is a half-sister to 2022 Del Mar Futurity (G1) and American Pharoah Stakes (G1) hero Cave Rock (Arrogate). Hip 644’s second dam is a Grade 3-winning colt Georgie’s Angel .
“Physically (Hip 644) is a great horse, he was a very straight horse from the moment we saw him,” said SF Bloodstock’s Tom Ryan. “There’s quite a few criteria that these horses go through; from Donato, Bob (Baffert), our veterinary team and from our partner team. We do quite a bit of work to qualify these horses from the get-go, and he qualifies on every standard.”
Ryan, who co-opted eight colts for a total of $4,545,000 at Wednesday’s meeting, reported that the colt would be sent to trainer Bob Baffert.
Gainesway’s McKinzie has had a strong start with his first 2-year-olds this year, including a Grade 1 winner. McPatrick Opportunity . That colt won the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Track September 2nd and the following Father’s Day weekend McKinzie Road completed a second-place finish in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) on September 8. Overall, he has sired seven winning 2-year-old foals through September 10.
Tom Ryan at Keeneland September Yearling Sale
“We’ve been investors in McKinzie since he came in and stood at Gainesway,” Ryan said. “He’s a horse that Bob (Baffert) raced, he ran seven or eight Beyers 100+. He’s a great racehorse.
“It seems like his horses are developing faster than he is. He is creating a very commercially valuable horse.”
McKinzie was purchased by Keeneland in September 2016 for $170,000. He has earned more than $3.6 million on the track, winning Grade 1s at 2, 3 and 4 before retiring with eight wins from 18 starts. He has been entered into the 2024 breeding race with a $30,000 entry fee.
“(Hip 644) is one of the healthiest colts we’ve had on the farm all year. He’s a really special horse,” said Gainesway chairman Antony Beck. “I think he’ll be a great racehorse. He just glides. He’s a really handsome horse. There’s never been a wrong moment with him. He’s just gotten better and better, and I think the best is yet to come on the track.”
