Dede McGehee will have a short trip to Keeneland on October 30 to see her homebred colt, Agate, compete in the $1 million Brown Advisory Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Agate was born and raised at McGehee’s Heaven Trees Farm, located just a few miles from the track along a picturesque backroad. On Sunday, the Karakontie gelding secured McGehee’s spot at the Breeders’ Cup by winning the “Win and You’re In” Castle & Key Bourbon (G2) race, run over 1 1/16 miles on the turf, which also marked her first stakes victory at Keeneland.
A retired equine reproductive veterinarian, McGehee has been breeding Thoroughbreds on her 158-acre farm since the mid-1990s, raising horses both for herself and others. Her current broodmare band includes about 15 mares, excluding retirees. Her long-standing approach has been to keep fillies for racing and breeding while selling most colts; however, some, like Agate, remain in her pink and green silks to race.
As a yearling, Agate was sent to trainer Kelsey Danner’s young horse division at High Pointe Farm and Training Center in La Grange, Kentucky, along with several other horses owned by McGehee. The two-year-old debuted in May with a sixth-place finish in a turf sprint at Churchill Downs but quickly bounced back to win his second start—a one-mile turf race at Ellis Park—and then placed third in the Grade 3 Pepsi Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile.
Danner noted that after Agate’s first race, where he finished strongly despite the sprint distance, it was clear he preferred longer routes. She described the gelding as athletic with good movement, although he doesn’t resemble his dam, More Than Gracious, a successful More Than Ready mare also bred and raced by McGehee.
While this will be McGehee’s first appearance at the Breeders’ Cup with Agate, she has deep experience with high-level racing through her connection to the Hall of Fame mare Rachel Alexandra. McGehee foaled and raised Rachel Alexandra at Heaven Trees while boarding the mare Lotta Kim, Rachel’s dam, on behalf of breeder Dolphus C. Morrison. After Morrison’s passing in 2016, McGehee acquired Lotta Kim and has since bred and raised Rachel Alexandra’s half-siblings.
This article originally appeared in the News section of the Paulick Report on October 7, 2026.
Fan Take: This story highlights the rewarding journey of a dedicated breeder and owner bringing a homebred to the world’s biggest stage, showing the passion and tradition alive in Thoroughbred racing. Agate’s presence in the Breeders’ Cup shines a light on the vital role small-scale breeders play in enriching the sport’s competitive landscape.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
