McKinzie Wins Alysheba With Comeback Move

Watching the $400,000 Alysheba Stakes Presented by Sentient Jet (G2) from the Churchill Downs paddock May 3, Bob Baffert initially thought, "Man, not again," when McKinzie, second in his last two starts, was passed early in the race.

But the Street Sense  colt found the winner's circle Friday thanks to some savvy handling from jockey Mike Smith.

"I think we're learning more about this horse and the way he wants to run," Baffert said. "I think he wants to run that way. They had him trapped in a good pocket, but when Mike asked him—when he made that move, I knew it was going to be over."

McKinzie broke from the rail in the Alysheba and took the lead through an opening quarter in :23.81 before Smith let Tom's d'Etat take over. Smith knew what his mount was capable of if he could catch a breather in the 1 1/16-mile event for older horses on the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard.

"I did that on purpose," Smith said. "Again, nine times out of 10 that would never work and I would never do that, but he was telling me to do it, so I listened to him."

McKinzie opened his 4-year-old season for Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman, and Karl Watson at Santa Anita Park with two narrow runner-up finishes in the Feb. 2 San Pasqual Stakes (G2) and the April 6 Santa Anita Handicap Presented by San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino (G1), beaten only a nose by Gift Box in the latter.

While down the backside in the Alysheba it looked like he might get beat again, Smith found a loaded horse under him. Tom's d'Etat and jockey Shaun Bridgmohan set fractions of :47.71 and 1:11.67 through three-quarters of a mile before McKinzie went four wide and opened up in the stretch. The final time was 1:41.10 over a good track.

"I thought, 'You know what, he's good enough. If I can get him to get up underneath himself and get some air in him, he'll be OK,'" Smith said. "As soon as I did it, I knew it was going to work. It was just a matter of getting out at that point. And the only reason I did it, I was very confident that Shaun's horse was going to go on. If he was struggling himself I would have never done it, because then I'd get stuck behind him. But he was going so easy at that time, pricking his ears. I knew he would go on so he would open up the door for me again, otherwise I wouldn't have done it."

Pegram was relieved after anxious moments watching from the winner's circle.

"I think Mike Smith had Google Maps," Pegram said. "He said that's what he needed to do, but it all worked out."

Tom's d'Etat held for second, 4 3/4 lengths behind McKinzie, the 3-5 favorite. Seeking the Soul, a grade 1 winner at Churchill Downs, rallied to third. Silver Dust, Casino Star, Instilled Regard, Bourbon Resolution, and Copper Bullet completed the order of finish. 

Baffert, who will send out Game Winner, Improbable, and Roadster in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) May 4, said McKinzie had to set the tone for the weekend.

McKinzie collected top-level wins at 3 in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and Malibu Stakes (G1), and the Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity (G1) by disqualification at 2. He's expected to aim for another one in the $1.2 million Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1) June 8 at Belmont Park. The Alysheba improved his record to 6-3-0 in 10 starts and pushed his earnings to $1,483,560.

Bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Farm, McKinzie was purchased by Three Amigos for $170,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is out of the Petionville mare Runway Model, a multiple grade 2 winner who ran third in the Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies. Runway Model has also produced stakes-placed winner Rompin Read and has a total of six winners from eight starters. She is expected to foal a full sibling to McKinzie this year.