Owner/breeder Marc Gunderson is going home with the broodmare and foal duo he targeted ahead of the Feb. 9 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale.
Under the name MWG, he bought multiple graded stakes-placed mare Ava's Grace (Hip 126) in foal to two-time Horse of the Year Curlin for $950,000 and then went to $625,000 for her Into Mischief filly (Hip 127).
"This is the package we identified in Texas that we wanted," said Gunderson. "You're dealing with a graded stakes horse that's got an Into Mischief on the ground, and we're back in foal to Curlin. You can't let the sale mandate the quality of the horse. That's about as good a quality as we buy. So, we thought we better try to come see if we could get it."
Ava's Grace, an 8-year-old mare by Laoban (Uncle Mo), was graded stakes-placed from 2-4, earning nearly $360,000 on the track. She boasts strong black-type credentials, being a half sister to stakes winner Ichiban, by the prolific Street Sense . In addition to her yearling filly (Hip 127), she also has a 2-year-old colt by Into Mischief named Mischief to Grace.
"He showed up here and bought what were probably our two top offerings at this sale, a high-end graded stakes-placed mare in foal to Curlin, and what I think was widely believed to be the best foal in the sale in the Into Mischief filly," said Hill 'n' Dale's director of bloodstock Jes Sikura.
"We're happy to see Marc, (farm manager) Rob (Brennan), his son Will, and the rest of the Twin Oaks team add some more quality to their business; we're glad to be friends and partners with them. They've really shown up and bought a lot of nice horses recently, so to add these two to their collection was exciting for us."
Gunderson said he expected to pay a little less for Ava's Grace and considering the stud fee this year to breed back to either Curlin or Into Mischief, likely will spend a couple hundred thousand more than projected. But he is not worried about it.
"If you're going to let $200,000 interfere with a $2 million purchase, at this point in time, you probably shouldn't be in the market," he said.
Gunderson owns a farm near Paris, Ky., that he recently bought and plans to grow into a premier breeding and racing operation. Will Gunderson does all the matings for the family's broodmare band and Brennan focuses on evaluating the physicals for new purchases.
"This package here (Ava's Grace and her filly) was all done with the three of us on the telephone, and realizing it was a standout," Gunderson said.
"We're just trying to do it the way we want to do it," he explained. "We don't have a commercialized opportunity yet. Do we feel like we have the stock that other people want? Ultimately, yes, we do. So, we could very easily go into the sales side, but it takes additional property. We're trying to make acquisitions of property as we sit here today.
"And, so our farm will definitely grow. It's something that we've wanted to do as a family venture, and we've tried to keep all the employees centered around a family concept. Last night, we had three babies, and my wife's in town. My son is in the business with me, and my daughter-in-law is in the business. Pretty hard to beat yesterday and today, if you put it into an entertaining business, right?"
Gunderson, an entrepreneur based in Fort Worth, Texas, has been involved in Thoroughbred racing a long time and has raced as Twin Oaks Bloodstock since 2023. The stable had 40% of its starters win or place last year, and over the weekend started Miss Authentic in the Bayakoa Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park. The race was the 4-year-old filly's first stakes start.
"We took the plane from Arkansas yesterday, after seeing a graded stakes race, flew in here, looked at some babies, bought some horses. We've got a couple of graded races in Miami next Saturday, we'll fly down there; the grandkids love it," Gunderson said.
He added that the Sikura family has played a significant role in ensuring his enterprise got started on the right foot.
"Our farms are across the street. I mean, if John or Jes ever wakes up and tells me I'm not the best neighbor, we'll have a problem," he said with a smile. "But until that day—it's fun, and as long as we can keep it that way, we'll be around."
Gunderson has been among the top buyers at nearly every sale over the past six months, securing 64 head that include weanlings, yearlings, broodmares, and broodmare prospects for gross receipts of $19,146,000 prior to the Fasig-Tipton Winter Sale.
Near the end of the Winter Mixed Sale, Gunderson also purchased Heavenly View (Hip 384), a 13-year-old broodmare by Congrats for $90,000. She is out of the Tabasco Cat mare Heavenly Cat, who is the dam of seven winners, five of which are black-type performers, including multiple graded stakes winner and millionaire Mr. Freeze.
Heavenly View was offered as not pregnant by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. She is the dam of two winners, including stakes winner Heaven Street (Street Sense).
Gunderson's three purchases during the Winter Mixed Sale totaled $1,665,000.
