By Sue Finley
There are horses who are special to us because of their quality, and there are horses who are special for what their names evoke in our memory. And then there are those who are special for both reasons.
When Chad Brown left his position as an assistant to Bobby Frankel in 2007, the first person he hired was Mary McKulick, a bookkeeper with whom he credits for helping him build his company. She passed away in October, 2020 after losing a battle with cancer, and so when Brown was given his first offspring to train by Frankel, the sire, he asked Klaravich Stable if he could name the filly after Mary.
McKulick (Frankel), doubly special for her incredible, durable career and the memory of Mary McKulick, will be offered as hip 289 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale by Elite Sales on Nov. 4, the first Grade I-winning daughter of Frankel to ever be offered at public auction.
“When I went out on my own, the first person I hired was Mary, and she was instrumental in helping me build a company, all the way up to her retirement,” said Brown. “And, sadly, just soon after her retirement, she developed cancer and passed. Bobby Frankel was my mentor, and when I had this opportunity to name a horse by Frankel, I thought it was fitting to name this beautiful Frankel filly after Mary, and the Klarmans were so nice to let me do it.”
McKulick did Mary proud right from the start, said Brown. “As soon as we gave her this name that meant so much to us, we were hopeful that she'd turn into a stakes horse. And she's exceeded all expectations, really. Mary's husband, Ron McKulick, has been closely following the horse, as have Mary's brothers and sister and all the different family members. It has just been a great story.”
The Grade I stakes winner and six-time graded winner of almost $2 million has been campaigned over four years. She was the leading money-earning three-year-old filly of 2022, won the Grade I Belmont Oaks Invitational, and set a new course record for one mile and three-eighths at Aqueduct in the Jockey Club Oaks Invitational. Remarkably consistent, she has been first, second or third in 15 of 20 starts.
A 180,000 guineas Tattersalls October yearling purchase in 2020, McKulick was selected by Mike Ryan. Brown said that Ryan and his wife, Mary, go to the Tattersalls October yearling sale every year to scout horses for him, and he typically goes and physically inspects their short list. “But this was the year of Covid where I couldn't get into the country myself,” said Brown, “so Mike and Mary really picked this one all out on their own. From the start, they just thought she was a really attractive horse that would do well in America, a lighter-framed, smaller horse. She was very early in the sale, and we were able to buy her at a very modest price for a Frankel. We shipped her off to Ocala just like we do all of our Tattersalls purchases, and she really was a star in training from the beginning.”
Recalled Mike Ryan, “When we saw her, we thought she was magnificent. An absolutely gorgeous filly, very elegant. Oozes quality and class. It was hard to fault her in any way, shape or form. We've been to Europe every year now for eight years, and I don't think I've ever seen a Frankel filly look as good, or be as nice as McKulick. She's got so much elegance, presence and quality about her. And I stand by that. I don't think I've ever seen a Frankel look like this filly.”
With travel being so difficult in 2020, a lot of potential buyers weren't able to get over to the sale, Ryan surmised, which could help to explain how they got her for the price they did.
“She was just an absolutely gorgeous physical,” Ryan said. “When people see her, they will appreciate what I'm saying. She will fit so many stallions because her quality is extraordinary. And obviously her race record is outstanding as well. Her performance matched her physical appearance and her quality. And she's by the greatest sire in the world today, Frankel. He's ranked globally the number one sire in the world and has been for some time. An extraordinary stallion, never beaten, 14-for-14 on the racecourse. And as a stallion, he's the fastest horse in history to reach 100 graded or group winners, which is an extraordinary feat.”
While she may have been smaller and lighter framed as a yearling, she has grown into an imposing physical presence, said Brown. “It's been wonderful to see her fill out and grow as a trainer would want to see from year to year,” he said. “She's grown into a really solid, strong, good-size mare. Year to year, she's gotten faster, and she's become better in the mornings and a little stronger in her races. And you just love to see that. We have had her from two to five. And the development has been remarkable.”
Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning said that her sale would represent a first for the company. “The opportunity to offer a Grade I-winning daughter of Frankel's was very special to us at Fasig-Tipton. We've had some spectacular November sales in recent years for some spectacular offerings, and this is the first time we've had an opportunity to sell a Grade I-winning daughter of Frankel. And we're very appreciative of Seth Klarmen, Klaravich Stables and Chad Brown of having that opportunity.”
Among her six graded stakes wins, Brown singles out her GI Belmont Oaks, where she defeated multiple graded stakes winner With The Moonlight (Ire) as a particularly special one.
“She's had so many great races. I'd say her Belmont Oaks is right at the top of the list. I thought that that race was terrific in the way she went and ran down a really, really top-class horse. It was a really a true Grade I, very solid field and and a close finish between two top fillies at the end. She's had so many nice races and memorable races. But that would be at the top.” To make it more special for Brown, she won the race on Bobby Frankel's birthday.
“You just hope to somehow buy a horse that's even close to her in the future,” said Brown. “It's very difficult to do. She's a special horse emotionally.”
Browning concurred.
“She's been consistent. She's been outstanding. She's been durable. All the superlatives that you want to use to describe a race filly, she fits those bills. She's got a tremendous pedigree. She's a half-sister to two graded stakes winners and out of a graded stakes performing mare. So she's got the the quality of the pedigree that that the collectors are looking for and she's certainly a collector's type of of pedigree and a collector's type of racehorse.”
Brown said that when he's shopping for yearlings, soundness in the mare is one of his top priorities. “When I look for young horses to buy at the sales, at the top of my list is if the mare was sound, then a high-level racehorse and was a good-looking horse,” he said. “McKulick is all of those things, and as far as her appeal in the marketplace, I could see the biggest operations all over the world that race on turf interested in this horse. I don't see any particular owner at that level or operation that wouldn't love to have her in their broodmare band.”
“She's the type of physical that's going to appeal to to American buyers,” said Browning. “She's going to appeal to a European buyer. She's got size, she's got scope, she's got balance. And when Mike Ryan says she's the best-looking Frankel that he's ever seen, I put a lot of credence in that. We're looking forward to seeing her on the sales grounds and looking forward to seeing how buyers see this kind of once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a very unique offering to buy a Grade I-winning daughter of Frankel.”
Additional reporting by Katie Petrunyak.
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