McKathans Back at it After Dream '15

J.B. and Kevin McKathan probably couldn't dream of another year like they had in 2015, but that's not to say business isn't still booming. The proprietors of McKathan Bros. Training Center outside of Ocala had already been closely involved with a number of superstars, including Bob Baffert-trained dual Classic winners Silver Charm and Real Quiet, but were able to finally boast their own sort of Triple Crown victory thanks to Zayat Stables' American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) last season. The McKathans were responsible for the eventual Horse of the Year's early training, and got the first glimpses of the brilliant talent that all racing fans would later bear witness to.

“I guess the simplest way to put it is: 'super satisfying,'” said J. B. McKathan when asked what it was like to watch American Pharoah's exploits on the racetrack. “We've had horses in the past that have been close, but training him was a privilege. He was so easy, and so talented. At some point with horses like that, it's just up to the horse. He never did one thing wrong, he was nothing but super fast–just really great to be around and super sound.”

The sons of prominent horseman J.B. “Luke” McKathan both started their own professional careers as racetrack trainers, but founded their Florida-based operation in 1988, specializing in breaking and early training in addition to 2-year-old sales prep and pinhooking.

“We've always been fairly busy, but [American Pharoah] has certainly helped,” McKathan said when asked how business has been recently. “Definitely, it improved our business and our clientele. When you've been around for a long time, sometimes people kind forget about you a bit. We've been quietly successful, but a horse like him really brings everything to the forefront… I have to kind of credit Pharoah–we really do have a strong group from all our clients. Mr. Zayat bought a lot of horses. It seems to me, right now anyway, that we have a lot of talent coming.”

If American Pharoah was an advertisement for the McKathan Bros. training services, Acapulco (Scat Daddy) was one for their 2-year-old sales offerings.

A $180,000 Fasig-Tipton July acquisition by the McKathans' long-time Texas-based clients Scott and Evan Dilworth in 2014, the chestnut filly may very well have been the most talented runner offered at last year's OBS March sale. One of two juveniles to breeze a furlong in :9 3/5, she caught the eye of the Coolmore contingent, who scooped her up for $750,000.

Turned over to Wesley Ward, Acapulco broke her maiden second out with a powerful performance in Royal Ascot's G2 Queen Mary S. in June, and finished second against older runners of both sexes–as a 2-year-old filly–in York's G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. in August. She returned with an easy optional claiming tally at Turfway Park Feb. 19, and is being pointed to a return trip to Royal Ascot.

“She really was a hyper-talented kind of a horse,” McKathan said. “She was very physically impressive just looking at her, she was very impressive every day on the racetrack. Then when we actually let her run a little bit, of course she was just inherently super fast… She was just so nice to be around. She was really easy to kind of fall for a little bit–she's a princess.”

The McKathans were minority partners with the Dilworths on Acapulco when she sold at OBS, and also owned a piece of a Bodemeister colt that brought $650,000 from trainer Mark Casse at the recent Fasig-Tipton Florida sale. The Dilworths had gone to $250,000 for that colt at Fasig-Tipton July.

“We had a good start down there in Miami,” confirmed McKathan, who also sold a $130,000 KEESEP yearling filly by Uncle Mo to Katsumi Yoshida for $350,000. “We sold a Bodemeister for quite a bit of money, which was nice because we trained Bodemeister [for Zayat]. Those kinds of things are satisfying.”

Despite all their success last year, the McKathans have kept their 2-year-old consignment on the small side again. They'll have a larger group of upwards of 20 juveniles for themselves and clients at OBS April, but will only offer as many as five at next week's March sale.

“When you have criteria like we have, it's difficult to buy a bunch,” McKathan said when asked if he and his brother had increased their 2-year-old crop this year. “If you told me to go out and buy 40 horses to make money on, that's a really tough job. I don't care who you are. When we pinhook horses, that's what we're trying to do, but you also want them to be good racehorses. I've been doing this for a long time, and a truly, really good racehorse is like a diamond–they're rare.”

The McKathans have sent out three juveniles through the first two OBS March breeze shows.

Hip 86, a Super Saver filly who they purchased for just $35,000 at Keeneland September, covered a furlong in :10 flat Wednesday.

“She's really more of a distance kind of horse,” McKathan noted. “She was kind of scrambling at the beginning, but at the end of the work she really got going and galloped out really well.”

Hip 153, a $37,000 KEESEP son of Scat Daddy, went in :10 1/5 during the same session, while a Harlan's Holiday colt (hip 405) who RNA'd for $90,000 at Keeneland breezed Thursday in :10 1/5 as well.

With two more juveniles scheduled to breeze Friday–a Malibu Moon colt (hip 413) who cost $150,000 at Keeneland and a son of in-demand freshman sire Tapizar who was a $170,000 FTKJUL buy by Jay Em Ess stable (hip 547)–J.B. McKathan was hesitant to single out any one horse as the pick of his consignment.

“Really, until the moment we really let them go for the breeze show, you never know,” he said. “We're always trying to hold something in reserve, so you can never really tell. You can't step on the gas every time.” —@BDiDonatoTDN