Whisper Hill

GI Blue Grass Stakes winner Tapit Trice (Tapit--Danzatrice, by Dunkirk) will return to his birthplace, Gainesway Farm, to enter stud upon his retirement from racing, the Central Kentucky nursery and stud farm announced Tuesday afternoon. Tapit Trice's next scheduled engagement is Saturday afternoon in the $7-million GI Breeders' Cup Classic, where he will break from post 10. He races for the partnership of Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, LLC and Gainesway Stable. "Winning the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes in partnership with Gainesway has been a real highlight for our...

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis, and Jill Williams LEXINGTON, KY-The Keeneland September Yearling Sale had its first seven-figure transaction just an hour into its first session Monday and, when the dust had settled after a frenetic day of bidding, 14 yearlings had sold for $1 million or more. The group was led by a $2.2-million son of Gun Runner who sold to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm from the Four Star Sales consignment. The colt was one of five by the Three Chimneys stallion to sell for seven figures during...

You know how the quote reads directly from the handicapper's Bible, "Behold the pale horse with controlling speed." Heeding that warning arrives once again on Sunday. Halfway through the three-day holiday weekend of Thoroughbred racing, Saratoga and Del Mar card graded races. The Spa's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes, the penultimate 'Win and You're In' pass to the Breeders' Cup Classic, sets the tone with a myriad of intriguing storylines woven into this fleece as a half dozen entries will try to catch that aforementioned 'pale horse' Arthur's Ride...

The second horse through the ring Tuesday night at Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga sale, a Gun Runner filly out of $4.5-million broodmare Pure Clan (Pure Prize), brought a cool $1.5 million from Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm LLC. Consigned as Hip 123 by Gainesway, agent XI, the chestnut filly was bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm and is a half-sister to Princesa Carolina (Tapit), course record setter in the Dueling Grounds Oaks whose graded placings include the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes. Dam Pure Clan won the GI American...

A homebred for Gary Seidler and Peter Vegso, Unrivaled Belle's Breeders' Cup win came at the expense of the following year's Horse of the Year Havre de Grace, who finished third. The two mares would eventually share common ownership, both being purchased by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, and live together at Timber Town before Havre de Grace's passing earlier this year. The crown jewel among Unrivaled Belle's foals to date is two-time champion Unique Bella. Unrivaled Belle has a 2-year-old full-sister to Unique Bella named Tap My Belle, as...

The very first horse through the ring Tuesday, the second day of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, got things going in a big way when selling for $1.3 million to an online bidder, later identified as Sinandigan Stable. The Tapit filly out of Lady Take Charge (War Front) was consigned by Gainesway, where Tapit stands, and was bred by Whisper Hill Farm, LLC, who bought her dam for $3.2 million at the 2015 Keeneland November sale. A Mar. 27 foal, Hip 202's granddam is Broodmare of the Year Take Charge...

8th-Gulfstream, $74,400, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 2-5, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:41.96, gd, 1 1/2 lengths. CHARGE IT (c, 4, Tapit--I'll Take Charge, by Indian Charlie), a 'TDN Rising Star' not seen since his 23-length romp in the GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont last July, was hammered into 1-5 favoritism for his return to the races Sunday. Eased out of the gate, he found himself four wide into the clubhouse turn before taking back to race fourth in the top flight. Led through the half by Laughing Boy (Distorted Humor), the...

4th-Gulfstream, $53,000, Msw, 1-30, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:25.34, ft, 1 length. DOLL BABY (f, 3, Tapit--Groupie Doll {Ch. Female Sprinter, Ch. Female Sprinter, MGISW, $2,648,850}, by Bowman's Band) faced a field of well-bred rivals on career debut here--but none as well-bred as her--going seven furlongs on the dirt with first-time Lasix as well as sporting a pair of blinkers. Breaking sharply, the 5-2 second choice immediately cleared her competition to claim the rail and rolled up the backstretch as the commanding speed. Coming through the turn and into the homestretch,...

1st-Hakodate, ¥9,680,000 ($87,717), Maiden, 2yo, 1800mT, 1:50.3, gd/fm. FIFTY CHEVY (c, 2, Tapit--Stopchargingmaria {MGISW, $3,014,000}, by Tale of the Cat), an $825,000 purchase out of last year's Keeneland September sale, made the majority of the pace in his June 13 debut going this distance at Tokyo before retreating in the final 200 meters to finish fourth. Better than a 10-1 chance for this second go, the beautifully bred bay was away only fairly from gate 11 and raced with just two rivals behind as they hit the first turn. Unhappy with...

Next weekend's GI Preakness S. continues to take shape as GSW Risk Taking (Medaglia d'Oro) and Unbridled Honor (Honor Code) are expected to be added to the fray during Monday's draw at Pimlico. Winner of the GIII Withers S. in February, Risk Taking had been initially tabbed to contest the nine-furlong GIII Peter Pan S. at Belmont Saturday, but has been rerouted to join his Klaravich Stables stablemate, Crowded Trade (More Than Ready), in the second jewel in the Triple Crown. Chad Brown trains the colt for Baltimore native Seth...

A Medaglia d'Oro half-sister to leading second-crop sire and MGISW Constitution (Tapit) was the first to reach the seven-figure threshold during Sunday's opening session of the Keeneland September sale when garnering a top bid of $1.1 million from Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. Consigned by Denali Stud, Agent LIX as hip 58, the Mar. 21 foal was bred in a partnership between Bridlewood Farm and Don Alberto Corp. The powerful co-breeders paid a sale-topping $3.5 million for group-placed dam Baffled (Distorted Humor) in foal to Tapit at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton...

Of all the jaw-dropping feats that a Thoroughbred is able to accomplish, perhaps nothing is quite as miraculous as watching a fierce, powerful racehorse transform to fill the role of motherhood.  Wayne Sweezey, who owns and operates Timber Town Stables alongside his wife Cathy, has watched this dramatic role change hundreds of times. But one mare on his farm in particular has excelled above and beyond both on the track and with a foal by her side. She won 13 of her 15 starts, never finishing worse than second, and...