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00:00Four-time grade one winner McKenzie was a standout first crop stallion at the breeding
00:10stock sales.
00:11He had more six-figure weanlings than any other first crop sire at the Keeneland November
00:15sale and at the Keeneland January sale he had the highest yearling average among the
00:19first crop stallions.
00:21We talked to Gainesway's Ryan Norton about why buyers are loving the McKenzie's.
00:27McKenzie foals are really looking the part.
00:28They got real long legs, huge shoulders, really nice hips, big bodies.
00:33The trait that the McKenzie foals have the most of is the height.
00:36If you have a mare that needs some leg, he will definitely provide that to the mare.
00:42Everyone's excited about his weanlings at the auction.
00:45How could they not be?
00:46He had 17 six-figure weanlings with an average of 135,000.
00:49That was the second highest average for a first crop weanling, only behind Authentic
00:54who started to stud feed twice the amount as he did.
00:57The $300,000 Colt by McKenzie out of Take Charge Angel had a lot of presence.
01:02Once again, it had a lot of leg like we've seen with many of his foals, a great hip.
01:06Just had a general good presence at the sale.
01:09Then being from the family of Cave Rock, not going to hurt, so it's easy to see why he
01:13brought $300,000 to the Van Latham.
01:15Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm purchased Philly out of the mare Grain 6.
01:19She just had presence and she floated.
01:21She was a great walker.
01:23She was very athletic.
01:24Candy Meadows also purchased a horse for $275,000.
01:28Huge hip on that.
01:29Great walk.
01:30Good body.
01:31Once again, had the height that people are looking for in these foals.
01:34McKenzie had the two top priced first crop yearlings in the Keeneland January sale and
01:39had additional four six-figure horses with an average of 145,000 in that sale.
01:44With the Van Latham, Mandy Pope, Candy Meadows, and the like buying these horses, you couldn't
01:49ask for these horses to get in better hands.
01:51Whether they're going to be, you'll see them again in the yearling sales coming up or on
01:55the racetrack, these are the hands that you'd like these horses to get in because you know
01:58they're going to give every opportunity to succeed.
02:00The horse was very well received by the general public.
02:03He bred 214 mares his first year and bred 171 mares in his second year.
02:07He gives a lot of height.
02:08Gives a lot of length of body.
02:10Gives a lot of size and scope to them.
02:12The breeders can't wait for the summer and fall yearling sales.
02:15How could they not with how well the weanlings were received?
02:18The Breyers, I've had several penhookers come up to me at the sales and were very upset
02:21that they couldn't even buy one.
02:22They love the way the McKenzie's look, but were bemoaning the fact that they couldn't
02:26get one.
02:27So I think you'll have some two-year-old guys still looking to get some of these as well.
02:31Some people forget that the McKenzie was a grade one winner at two.
02:34So he certainly has the precocity that they should come out early.
02:37So I think some of the two-year-old guys will be very intrigued by how these yearlings are
02:41received at the marketplace.
02:42I think it's a fantastic time for breeders to breed the McKenzie this year in his third
02:46year.
02:47I think people will come to the marketplace as his two-year-olds hit the racetrack, and
02:50I think they're poised for some huge success.
02:52So I think people that breed now will be well rewarded by the time they take their yearlings
02:56to the marketplace.