Perched on the second-floor balcony above the Fasig-Tipton auction ring for the July Select All-Ages Horse Sale, blood agent Steve Young watched the bidding on the 3-year-old placed stakes Kuchar exceeded $200,000, $300,000 and $400,000. Then Young dove into the bidding, earning the top-grossing $500,000 as the action drew to a close.
“The only offer that matters is the last one,” he said.
Young was busy acquiring racing-age horses at the July 11 sale near Lexington, securing four, all for an undisclosed client who plans to bring the quartet to New York. The group was led by Kuchar (Hip 547), whose recent form made them popular with Young and many underbids.
A son of Uncle Mo , Kuchar entered Monday’s sale after four straight finishes in the exacta. He won a first race at Oaklawn Parkfinished second at home brew in the Oaklawn Stakes, won an optional Tier One Allocation Seeker at Churchill Fallsthen recently placed second to the winner ranked 1 Rattle N Roll in the July 2 American Derby there.
Overall, he is 2-2-1 in six starts, all on clay, having previously raced for owners WinStar Farm and Siena Farm and trainer Rodolphe Brisset. WinStar Racing shipped the colt.
“He’s an improving Uncle Mo,” Young said. “He’s got a good pedigree. I thought his run against Rattle N Roll was very good. He’s never been on grass. I think that’s a viable option.”
Kuchar in the ring at the Fasig-Tipton Selected All Ages Horse Sale in July
Kuchar is out of the winning stakes street heroes Mare street girl who won the off-grass Calder Oaks in 2013 and went on to earn placements in the 2013 Cotillion Stakes (G1), 2014 Humana Distaff (G1) and 2014 Chilukki Stakes (G2).
Kuchar is his first black type horse and his second winner. Four of his seven foals have started. The three who did not run are 2 years old or younger.
“A lot of good guys were on to him. Steve Young is a good judge,” said Elliott Walden, president, CEO and racing director of WinStar Farm. “Today was rewarding to see.
“(Kuchar) ran great the other day, he’s a good progressing horse, and I hope they have the best with him.”
Young’s other purchases, all for the same customer, are also for 3-year-olds. They understand diamond hands (Hip 495), a purchase of $375,000; Montebello (Hip 565), which sold for $325,000; and To relate (Hip 403), a $65,000 acquisition.
Denali Stud, ELiTE and Bluewater Sales were their respective shippers.
Like Kuchar, Diamond Hands was staked this year, finishing second to the winner of the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) white pizza in the Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico Racecourse May 20. Most recently, she ran a close fifth in an optional top-tier allowance seeker at Belmont Park June 16.
Diamond hands in the ring
“(Diamond Hands) picked some tough horses to go up against, but she ran lightly,” Young said. “I think she has a lot of blue skies ahead of her if she’s brave and lucky.”
He noted that he was outbid her when she sold for $425,000 to agent Joseph Migliore at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s Spring 2021 sale of 2-year-olds in training. sending Scanlon Training & Sales.
The sale price of $375,000 came as no surprise to Young or Conrad Bandoroff, vice president of Denali Stud.
“The physique matched,” Bandoroff said. “She has a lot of ability, still has all her conditions, and she has shown that she is a professional caliber filly. I think the quality of her physique combined with the advantage of her racing potential has helped her to bring a bounty here today.”
Montebello caught Young’s interest with accomplished juvenile and 3-year-old form. He won an allowance in his last race at Belmont Park on June 30.
“Beautiful horse, I loved him when he was 2 years old,” he said. “He was good enough to win at Of the sea against open horses. He had died to win the other day in New York. The scholarships for New York breeds, it has all its conditions. If he stays healthy, we’re pretty good there.”
The New York call further drew Young to Relate, which won a $40,000 first claiming race for state riders in its June 19 grass court debut at Belmont.
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