Keeneland hosts their November Horses of Racing Age Sale Nov. 14 and among the selection will be several prospects from Marylou Whitney Stables.
John Hendrickson, husband of Marylou Whitney and chairman of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame died unexpectedly in August. On Thursday, Gainesway will consign eight runners on behalf of his estate.
READ: Hall of Fame Chairman Hendrickson Dies at 59
Leading the way is Alyeska , consigned as Hip 4066. The 2-year-old daughter of Vekoma was an impressive winner in her debut at Churchill Downs Sept. 20. Experiencing a rough trip early that forced her toward the back of the 11-horse field, she rallied down the lane to win the 6 1/2-furlong contest by a length.
The filly has come back with two October workouts for trainer Norm Casse and appears to offer plenty of potential.
“Alyeska is a very nice filly on offer from his estate,” said Gainesway general manager Brian Graves. “She looks like she could be a nice stakes mare.”
Alyeska is out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Gull Island , who herself is out of 2003 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Bird Town. Alyeska is a half to Empire Island (Classic Empire ), who won her lone career start in 2023.
Another 2-year-old that Graves sees stakes potential in is Captain Cook , consigned as Hip 4086. The Practical Joke colt, like his stablemate, experienced a rough trip in his Oct. 27 debut at Churchill Downs. After bumping an inner rival and steadying out of crowded quarters, the colt continued his pursuit and stayed on to finish sixth, beaten just four lengths.
Captain Cook is out of the graded stakes-placed winning Indian Charlie mare Pow Wow Wow .
While both of those runners have high hopes following their debuts, Girdwood (Hip 4131) has yet to make his first start. The juvenile son from the first crop of Gainesway stallion McKinzie has recorded two workouts at Churchill Downs so far and boasts a solid pedigree.
Girdwood, consigned by Gainesway as Hip 4131, is offered on behalf of John Hendrickson’s estate at the Keeneland November HORA Sale
Out of the winning Cape Town mare Quick Town, Girdwood is a half brother to grade 3 winner Super Quick (Super Saver ) and stakes winner and grade 1-placed Viva Majorca (Tiago).
All three runners, as do all the sale entries, hail from several generations of Whitney homebreds; presenting an opportunity for buyers to access bloodlines from one of racing’s most prominent families.
Offered in the sale are three half siblings out of the unraced Bernardini mare Tweeterdini . The youngest, 2-year-old Spun to Run colt Spenard (Hip 4030), debuted Nov. 13 with a solid runner-up performance at Churchill Downs after a stretch-long duel going 6 1/2 furlongs.
His 3-year-old Practical Joke half sister Tweetster (Hip 4051) was a debut winner and has hit the board in four of six starts and winning 4-year-old Carpe Diem gelding Mr. Keating (Hip 4184) has finished off the board just once in five starts.
Also offered from Hendrickson’s estate is Not So Close (Hip 4191), a 5-year-old stakes-placed winning daughter of Empire Maker, and Songmaker (Hip 4027), a 3-year-old daughter of Bird Song who placed in her lone start at Keeneland this spring.
