'We Can't Hide Anymore': Success Builds C&S Thoroughbreds

People took notice when Carlos Estrada and wife Sarah Estrada-Brok built a steady drumbeat of pinhooking successes and the couple's C&S Thoroughbreds consignment, which began a few years ago as just one or two of their personal pinhooks prepared on rented farms in the Bluegrass, has turned into a barnful of 18 sales-bound yearlings prepped on their own farm in Georgetown. C&S Thoroughbreds makes its second appearance at the Fasig-Tipton July Selected Yearlings Sale next Tuesday with a five-horse consignment.

The Estradas ran their first consignment in 2017 under the established consignment of Estrada-Brok's mother, Becky Merkel, before establishing their own brand. In its first year selling under their 2-year-old sales banner, Sterling Thoroughbreds, the couple sold a Brody's Cause colt–purchased as a yearling for $6,000–for $290,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May Sale. At that fall's Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale, they sold a colt by Ghostzapper–purchased as a weanling for $7,000–for $140,000, as well as an Always Dreaming colt–purchased for $15,000–for $125,000.

“We started out just pinhooking two or three horses and we did well,” Estrada-Brok said. “So we got six horses and then we did even better and then we got 12 horses. Now we have a barn of 18 going to the sales. It started out just us and then people started to come to us. We tried to stay small with ourselves, but it didn't work out like that.”

She added with a laugh, “We can't hide anymore.”

The Estradas spent a year based in Pennsylvania helping with her parents' Diamond B Farm, but as that operation began winding down, they returned to Kentucky. And her parents, Glenn and Becky, soon followed.

“We were renting at a couple of different places and eventually we did well enough in the sales that we could buy our own farm,” Estrada-Brok said. “We are just here in Georgetown. It's really close to everything. The Horse Park and Hagyard are about two miles away, Fasig is six, but it's a great farm and we filled it up. Carlos built a round pen and he put a walker in. My parents bought the farm right next door, and they have an aqua tread, so we go and use that.”

Of the couple's move to Kentucky, followed by her parents, Estrada-Brok laughed and said, “My husband jokes that he brought the whole Brok family from Pennsylvania because my sister moved down here, too.”

C & S Thoroughbreds sold four horses at last year's Fasig-Tipton July sale, led by a colt by Classic Empire who sold for $140,000. The consignment also sold a filly by Distorted Humor last July for $110,000. That filly returned to sell for $485,000 at this year's OBS April sale.

“Last year was a great group and it's another strong group this year,” Estrada-Brok said. “I think our clients upped the price range a little bit when they bought them. It's a good, solid group of fast early horses. I am really happy with what we are taking over there.”

C & S Thoroughbreds' five-horse July consignment includes yearlings being sold on behalf of clients, as well as a pair in pinhooking partnerships. The group are all colts and all but one are the first or second foals out of their dams.

“This year when we went to the sales to buy, we bought more colts than fillies,” Estrada-Brok said. “And we did that on purpose. Everybody always has the Derby dream. So we tend to stick more to colts.”

She continued, “Typically when Carlos and I buy, we do look for the first or second foal. That's typically what we try to go for. Buying a horse with pedigree is expensive, we can't always afford those, so we need to look for angles.”

The couple's July consignment includes a pair of yearlings by Bolt d'Oro: Hip 161 was purchased by Gary Contessa for $33,000 at last year's Keeneland November and Contessa signed for hip 357 for $80,000 at the same sale.

“I have two really nice Bolt d'Oros for a client,” Estrada-Brok said. “And he is just as hot as anybody.”

As part of a pinhooking partnership, the Estradas purchased a colt by Munnings (hip 164) for $100,000 at this year's Keeneland January sale.

“He is a big, strong forward horse,” Estrada-Brok said of the colt. “He's a Saturday horse, that is what he is.”

Also part of a pinhooking partnership is a son of Complexity (hip 341) who was purchased for $27,000 at Keeneland November.

The C&S Thoroughbreds consignment is rounded out by a homage to the operation's roots in Pennsylvania. A homebred for Whiskey Run Stables, the colt (hip 204) is by Rowayton, a stallion who began his career at the Broks' Diamond B Farm.

In addition to the July sale, C&S Thoroughbreds will be offering yearlings at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearlings sale and the Fasig-Tipton October sale.

Fasig-Tipton will host its July Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale at its Newtown Paddocks facility Monday, with bidding beginning at 2 p.m. The company's July Selected Yearlings Sale will be held Tuesday beginning at 10 a.m.