Bank Heist to Stand at Kaz Hill in New York

By Blood-Horse Staff

Photo: Tom Hall Midnight Lute, pictured here, is a half-brother to Bank Heist.

Bank Heist, a winning half-brother to champion sprinter and two-time Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. I) winner Midnight Lute , has been retired and will stand the 2012 breeding season at Peter Kazamias’ Kaz Hill Farm near Middletown, N.Y.

Bank Heist, a son Maria's Mon out of the Dehere mare Candytuft, will stand for $2,500, but the stud fee will be waived for black-type mares, mares with black-type under the first dam, and winners/producers of $50,000 or more.

A $900,000 Keeneland September yearling, Bank Heist won a maiden special weight going 6 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga in wire-to-wire fashion in August of his 3-year-old season for trainer Todd Pletcher.

"Bank Heist has a pedigree that's as good as any horse standing in New York in 2012," said Kazamias in a release. "His sire was a blazing-fast and precocious 2-year-old, but he's also sired two Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winners in Monarchos and Super Saver , and a champion turf mare in Wait a While, among his 59 total stakes winners.

“We feel like Bank Heist can be to Midnight Lute what Freud is to Giant's Causeway : A value-priced, New York-based version of his Kentucky-based brother that gives local breeders an opportunity to hit it out of the ballpark. We'll be supporting Bank Heist with a number of our own best mares."

The deal was brokered by New Jersey-based bloodstock agent Michael Slezak.