Top Melnyk mares to be offered at Fasig-Tipton winter mixed sale

Michael Burns

Sovereign Award finalist Roxy Gap is part of a 28-horse consignment from Eugene Melnyk's Winding Oaks Farm that will be offered at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky mixed sale next month.

Eugene Melnyk, owner of Winding Oaks Farm in Ocala, Fla., and a finalist for the Sovereign Award as Canada’s outstanding owner, will offer 28 horses at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky’s Feb. 11 winter mixed sale.

Taylor Made Sales Agency will handle the consignment, which includes Grade 1 winner Pool Land, in foal to Smart Strike; Canadian Horse of the Year Sealy Hill, who became the first Canadian filly to capture the Canadian Triple Tiara in 2007, in foal to Distorted Humor; and graded stakes winner Gemswick Park, in foal to Tiznow. The racing and broodmare prospects include three-time graded stakes winner Roxy Gap, a 5-year-old Indian Charlie mare with $866,281 in earnings. She’s currently a Sovereign Award finalist in the older female, turf female, and sprint female divisions.

Melnyk intends to change his program’s emphasis, said Winding Oaks general manager Phil Hronec.

“We have had great success with our homebred program over the years,” he said. “Moving forward, we have decided to shift more towards buying to race instead of breeding to race. It is bittersweet to part with these mares, but we are excited about our new direction.”

The Winding Oaks consignment will be auctioned as part of a supplemental catalog following the main body of the auction at Fasig-Tipton’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington.

Also in the broodmare consignment are five mares in foal to Melnyk’s 2004 sprint champion Speightstown, last year’s third-ranked general sire by progeny earnings; three mares in foal to Melnyk’s Flower Alley, sire of reigning 3-year-old champion and dual classic winner I’ll Have Another; and other mares pregnant to such sires as Harlan’s Holiday, More Than Ready, Candy Ride, and Congrats. 

The complete catalog for the Feb. 11 mixed sale and its supplemental entries is available online. Print catalogs will be available by Jan. 28.