Reeves Thoroughbred Racing went to $475,000—the highest price of the day—for a colt by McKinzie Sept. 16 during the seventh session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The colt is out of the Smart Strike mare Ruby Trust.
Hip 2197 was bred in Kentucky by Gainesway Thoroughbreds, and also consigned by Gainesway. McKinzie is off to a strong start with his first crop of 2-year-olds, already having a grade 1 winner in Chancer McPatrick, winner of the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
"I thought (Hip 2197) was a standout today in the sale, his physical was really great," said Danny Gargan, who trains for Dean and Patti Reeves. "Jimmy (Gladwell) and I looked at him together. And we've been trying to get some (Kentucky) Derby-type quality horses, and we think he fits what we're trying to do.
"Dean watched the videos and looked at the pictures online. Jimmy and I have been trying to buy a certain kind of horse for Dean and Patti to have chances to be in the classic races, and we'd like to thank Patti and Dean for giving us this opportunity to buy physicals and buy the type of horses that we like."
In addition to Chancer McPatrick, McKinzie also has McKinzie Street, who was a game second in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) Sept. 7. McKinzie is ranked fifth on the first-crop sire list.
"We think McKinzie has a huge future as a stallion, and we love the horse physically, and we're just lucky that we were the ones able to buy him," he said.
Brian Graves, general manager of Gainesway, said: "He was a Book 3 colt in Book 4, he was beautifully balanced, big hip, long neck, everything you'd like to see. He's a real good mover, and all the end-users found him."
The colt will go to Florida to the Reeves' farm with the Gladwells, then will go to Saratoga to join Gargan's barn when he has begun training. Gargan trains about 10 horses every year for the Reeveses. His most recent success for them came in 2023 with stakes winner Dakota Gold.
Gargan is best known for training this year's Belmont Stakes (G1) and Haskell Stakes (G1) winner Dornoch . He also trained Tax, who won the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) in 2019 and retired with earnings of more than $1 million. Gargan claimed Tax for $50,000 and he took the group of owners including Gargan, the Reeveses, and Randy Hill to the Kentucky Derby (G1) in 2019.
"They're probably my biggest owners and supporters, and Dean and Randy Hill, mainly Dean, made me switch from claiming horses to training young horses," Gargan said. "And if it wasn't for Dean, I wouldn't be in a situation like I am now, training horses like Dornoch."
