Zee Bros to stand in New Mexico

Multiple stakes winner Zee Bros will stand at a farm to be determined in New Mexico after being purchased Thursday by Justin Evans’s A & A Equine as a stallion prospect for $3,000 at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale.

The 6-year-old son of Brother Derek retired with four wins in 19 starts over three seasons of racing for earnings of $449,230.

Racing his entire career for Zayat Stables, Zee Bros won the 2014 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash Stakes at Laurel Park and the 2013 Chick Lang Stakes at Pimlico, and finished third in the Fifth Season Stakes last year at Oaklawn Park. He traveled to the U.A.E. in 2014 and raced three times, culminating with a start in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen.

“I’ve always been a big fan of his, and I just think he’s the kind of horse that’s speed,” Evans said. “We’re all speed out here, it seems like. We’re trying to get a deeper program with the Sunland Derby, but all the big money is in the futurities. I think we can get some pretty decent mares to him with his race record and what he’s done.”

Evans, a Southwest-based trainer, said the purchase of Zee Bros will be his first foray into stallion ownership, and the decision to buy the horse came practically on the spot. While he had some destinations in mind, Evans said the decision on where to stand Zee Bros would come in the near future.

“I was actually looking for horses of racing age, but I told my guys if he went for the right price, I just couldn’t see how I could pass him up,” Evans said. “I’ve never really had a stud to stand, but I’ve always been a fan of his. I thought why not take a shot? I thought he could be something out this way, and for what I gave for him, I owe him that much. I watched him run for years and bet on him for years.”

Bred in Kentucky by Eico Stable, Zee Bros is out of the unplaced Montbrook mare Nyanza, who is the dam of four winners from five foals to race. He is from the family of Grade 2-placed stakes winner Sherriff Cogburn and Grade 3-placed stakes winner Sweet Nanette.

Zee Bros was consigned as agent by Lane’s End.