Childs Strikes for $750K McKinzie Colt on Day 1 at OBS

Bill Childs extended to $750,000 to secure the bid on Hip 89, a colt from the first crop of four-time grade 1 winner McKinzie   during the opening session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training March 12.

Consigned by Wavertree Stables, the bay colt breezed a :09 4/5 eighth-mile, co-fastest of the first day of the under tack show. The fleet-footed colt will be trained in Southern California by Bob Baffert, who also trained McKinzie.

"Of course, I liked the way he worked. That was obvious," said Childs after signing the ticket. "I liked him because I think he is probably going to go two turns. I just like the way he went, the way he looked, and everything about him.

"He doesn't look like a horse that should work that fast that short," Childs continued. "Anytime they have speed, they turn out to be good."

Bred in Ontario by Mike Carroll, the bay colt sold to Superfine Farm for $205,000 out of the Cara Bloodstock consignment at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt hails from a prolific female family. Produced from the winning Holy Bull mare Breech Inlet, the colt is half brother to multiple stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Merveilleux , an earner of $430,038.

This is also the family of grade 1 winner By Land by Sea, the colt's third dam, and graded stakes winners Bauble Queen  and Blitzkrieg .

McKinzie, a $170,000 Keeneland September yearling in 2016, enjoyed an outstanding racing career. Winner of the 2019 Whitney Stakes (G1), 2018 Pennsylvania Derby (G1), 2018 Malibu Stakes (G1), and the 2017 Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity (G1) for Baffert and owners Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, McKinzie amassed earnings of more than $3.4 million on the racetrack. The accomplished son of Street Sense   stands at Gainesway for a $30,000 stud fee.

"It's his first crop; we don't know how it's going to go," Childs related of McKinzie. "Judging from the way they worked here it looks like they are going to be good. Hopefully, he continues to get the runners."

As for the market in the early stages of the auction, Childs said, "I thought the market is a little soft. I have seen some that I thought would've brought a little more money than they did. You just don't know. I kind of feel like they (prices) will get higher as the sale goes on."