Miss J McKay gives sire Hangover Kid first winner

by | Jul 5, 2019 | Breaking, Breeding, Maryland, MD Breeding, MD Racing

Miss J McKay

Miss J McKay. Photo by Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club.

Multiple stakes winner Hangover Kid, whose seven career victories included the 2014 Bowling Green (G2), got his stud career off to a successful start when Maxis Stable’s Miss J McKay captured her debut Friday at Laurel Park.

Favored at 4-5 among seven 2-year-old fillies in the $33,000 waiver maiden claiming event, Miss J McKay ($3.80) ran 5 ½ furlongs in 1:04.61 over a fast main track to win by 5 ¼ lengths under jockey Trevor McCarthy, the first of his three consecutive victories on the day.

“You can never be confident on their works until they actually show up in the afternoon and do it, but she’s been doing everything right in the morning,” winning trainer Cal Lynch said. “We were hoping that she’d show up like she did today.”

Breaking from the far outside post, McCarthy settled Miss J McKay in the clear three wide to the outside of Landing Zone, who went the opening quarter in 22.84 seconds, and Always Something. Miss J McKay secured the lead midway around the far turn, opened a clear advantage once straightened for home and was wrapped up by McCarthy for the final sixteenth of a mile.

Miss J McKay was bred in Maryland by Linda Oliff Rohleder of Centreville, Md., co-owner of ADU, formerly The Appliance Source, a builder-distributor of most major appliance brands for new construction and remodeling projects serving Maryland, Delaware and southern Virginia.

Out of the Street Boss mare Ballykiss, Miss J McKay fetched $55,000 as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton’s Midlantic Eastern Fall sale last October at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. She did not reach her $85,000 reserve when offered at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales April auction of 2-year-olds in training, and joined Lynch’s string at Laurel. She represented Hangover Kid’s first starter.

“[They] bought her as a pinhook prospect and we didn’t get we wanted for her at OBS, so we got to keep her and train her and I’m glad we did. I think she’s going to be a nice filly,” Lynch said. “When the guys bought her, they had no idea who [Hangover Kid] was. I’m glad to have this one. Hopefully, it’s not the last [winner].”

First crop sire Hangover Kid entered stud in 2016 and stands at Murmur Farm in Darlington, Md. for $2,500 live foal. As a racehorse, the son of 1999 Belmont (G1) and Travers (G1) winner and 2000 champion older horse Lemon Drop Kid made 26 starts over four seasons from 2011-14, winning or placing 17 times with purse earnings of $643,203.

In addition to the Bowling Green, Hangover Kid won the 2013 West Point Stakes at Saratoga, was second in the 2014 Monmouth Stakes (G2) and 2013 Red Smith Handicap (G3) and third in the 2013 United Nations (G1) for trainer Jason Servis.