C & S Thoroughbreds returns to the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale with an elevated consignment as the husband-and-wife team of Carlos Estrada and Sarah Estrada-Brok continue building their pinhooking venture. The couple will present three yearlings at the prestigious auction scheduled for Aug. 4-5 in Saratoga Springs.
The operation has steadily gained momentum since launching their first consignment in 2017. Under their Sterling Thoroughbreds banner in 2021, they achieved a significant breakthrough when a Brody’s Cause colt—purchased as a yearling for $6,000—sold for $290,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May Sale.
“Last year, we had our first consignment in Saratoga, and this year, we are going back with what I think is a better group,” said Carlos Estrada. “I think this group is going to turn out to be very nice.”
Their 2023 Saratoga offering included a yearling colt by Justify out of Mahkama (Bernardini) who sold to BBA Ireland for $250,000. They later sold a Charlatan colt out of Brandons Danger (Into Mischief) for the same price.
All three yearlings in their 2024 Saratoga consignment are owned through limited partnerships in which the Estradas maintain a stake.
Hip 82, a New York-bred filly by first-crop sire Cyberknife, headlines their offerings. Bred by Dr. Jerry Bilinski, she previously made headlines when selling for a sale-topping $230,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Mixed Sale last October. The March 28 foal is a half-sister to GIII Summertime Oaks winner Cash Call (McKinzie) and stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Strategic Dreams (Archarcharch).
“She is fancy,” said Estrada-Brok. “She is beautiful and correct and keeps improving. She’s probably one of the best Cyberknife’s we’ve seen.”
Cash Call, owned by CSLR Racing and trained by Bob Baffert, is scheduled to compete in Saratoga’s GI Test Stakes.
The consignment also includes Hip 41, a colt by first-crop sire Olympiad. The Kentucky-bred April 11 foal is out of stakes-placed Autonomous (Quality Road) from the family of Grade I winners Monba, Secret Hello and Silent Account. Bred by Stoneriggs Farm, the colt was purchased for $150,000 at Fasig-Tipton in Kentucky last February.
“He is a very nice colt, very athletic. We went to the February sale saying we needed a Saratoga caliber colt, and he was one,” Estrada noted.
Completing their draft is Hip 198, a filly by first-crop sire Golden Pal selling on the second day. Bred in Kentucky by Hidden Springs Farm, the $92,000 Keeneland November weanling is the second foal out of Seeking Spirits (Orb), a half-sister to Grade III winner Kirby’s Penny (Macho Uno).
“Like the stallion, she has a lot of substance to her,” said Estrada. “Everyone is loving the Uncle Mo-line stallions like Yaupon and Golden Pal would not be an exception.”
The couple purchased their 18-acre farm in Georgetown, Kentucky, three years ago and intend to maintain their boutique approach with 10-15 yearlings per season.
“It’s the perfect size for us, because we try to keep it small,” said Estrada-Brok. “We try to get better quality every year. We’d like to stay small so we can focus on them, because it’s mostly just us. We want to represent the best horses that we can.”
C & S Thoroughbreds recently sold several yearlings at Fasig-Tipton in July and expects to sell additional horses at Keeneland in September through a different consignor, followed by more at Fasig-Tipton in October.
Estrada-Brok emphasized their commitment to maintaining their current scale: “We don’t want to get any bigger. Right now, we are happy where we are at. It’s manageable. We have three kids. We don’t just want to focus on horses, we want to focus on our kids as well. At that number, we can do everything ourselves.”
