Practical Joke Colt In Demand at Keeneland Horses of Racing Age Sale

Steven Young signed the ticket for an exciting Practical Joke colt on Thursday when he went to $410,000 to secure Captain Cook from Gainesway at the Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale.

The second most expensive horse of the sale when offered as part of the Estate of John Henderickson sale, the colt made one start in late October when trained by Norm Casse for Marylou Whitney Stables. He is out of the Grade II-placed Pow Wow Wow, who is one of two stakes performers out of her own dam alongside stakes winner Gorgeous Bird.

This is a prolific Marylou Whitney family with Captain Cook’s third dam the great racemare Bird Town. Bird Town produced Grade II winner Bird Song among her runners and is a half-sister to multiple Grade I winner Birdstone. They are out of Dear Birdie, who is the matriarch of a family that includes 12 stakes performers.

“Captain Cook was an interesting horse,” said Gainesway’s Brian Graves. “I thought he was a bit of a sneaky horse in the troubled trip that he had in his first start. Obviously by a stallion who's doing really well and he was a good-looking horse. When you combine everything, that horse could be a stakes horse himself. I think people just saw that potential in him.”

Practical Joke leads all fourth crop sires by number of 2024 winners with his 11 stakes winners and 26 stakes performers including two Grade I winners this year.