Grand Stud Puts McKulick On Top at $6M

When grade 1 winner and millionaire McKulick (GB) (Hip 289) left the ring Nov. 4 deep into Fasig-Tipton's The November Sale, she left as its highest-selling mare at that point. Narvick International, agent for Grand Stud, went to $6 million to land the 5-year-old daughter of leading European sire Frankel (GB). Campaigned by Klaravich Stables and trainer Chad Brown, McKulick won five graded stakes, including the 2022 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T). She raced from 2 to 5 and won or placed in 14 graded stakes. McKulick was consigned by ELiTE. She is out of the Makfi stakes-placed winner Astrelle, who has also produced group 3 winner Just Beautiful (Pride of Dubai) and group 2 winner Fearless King (Kingman (GB). "Her physic," said Emmanuel de Seroux on what appealed to him the most about McKulick. "She's a beautiful filly and she's by Frankel, the best stallion in the world. She's a grade 1 winner, she's fantastic." McKulick earned $1,955,290 from 20 starts, finishing on the board 15 times, with seven wins. She was bought at Tattersalls October Sale in 2020 for $245,369 by Mike Ryan, agent. "We didn't expect that, we really can't take all the credit," said Bradley Weisbord, founder and managing partner of EliTE Sales. "All the credit goes to Seth Klarman and Chad Brown and Mike Ryan. They went over to Tattersalls and found a beautiful filly. She won a grade 1, and we got a chance to sell the only grade 1 winner by Frankel, and they've been the number one supporter since we started ELiTE, Chad and Seth. We've been waiting a long time to have a breakout sale for them, and we didn't expect that, the reserve was half of that." There was strong international and domestic interest as the bidding war ensued. "Several times he stopped, and then he came back," said de Seroux about Yoshiyuki Ito of Japan's Grand Stud. He said they have yet to discuss any mating plans for McKulick.