Whisper Hill Farm

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale concluded its nine-day run in Lexington Wednesday with vibrant trade from a diverse buying bench leading to across-the-board increases where were highlighted by a new sales record median. "Overall, this was a very strong, fair market from start to finish," Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. "Book 1 gross jumped nearly 15% from last year with a much-improved clearance rate and that momentum powered the sale through the final days." For the nine days, 2,158 horses sold for $196,442,900. The average of...

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis, & Jill Williams LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale opened Tuesday in Lexington with a solid Book 1 session punctuated by nine million-dollar mares purchased by a diverse, international buying bench. Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm made the session's highest bid when purchasing graded-stakes winner Roses For Debra (Liam's Map) for $2.4 million from the Candy Meadows Sales consignment. "It was a very solid, vibrant marketplace," said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. "It was a really diverse buying bench. We had...

1st-BAQ , 90K, Msw, 2yo, 1m, 12:10 p.m. UNCLE HULKA (Uncle Mo), a $750,000 OBS March grad who worked in :10.2, debuts Sunday to open the closing day card at Belmont's Aqueduct meet for trainer Chad Brown and the partnership group of Spendthrift Farm, Big Easy Racing, Titletown Racing Stables, Rick Kanter, Golconda Stable, Ali Goodrich and Mark Parkinson. Bred by White Birch Farm, the colt is the second foal out of a winning Candy Ride (Arg) first dam who has already produced one winner from one to race. Making...

4th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 7:26 p.m. ET. Well-bred MISCHIEVOUS TIME (Not This Time) makes his first start for trainer Steve Asmussen. The Whisper Hill homebred is from unraced dam Daisy Mason (Orientate), who Mandy Pope and Gainesway acquired for $475,000 during the Keeneland November Sale while Mischievous Time was in-utero. This dam is herself out of Broodmare of the Year Leslie's Lady (Tricky Creek) who prolifically produced all-conquering sire Into Mischief (Harlan's Holiday), current sire Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy) and the multiple Eclipse winning Beholder (Henny Hughes). Also set for...

Whisper Hill Farm's multiple graded stakes winner Charge It (Tapit--I'll Take Charge, by Indian Charlie) has been retired from racing and will begin his stud career next season at Gainesway. Charge It followed a 'TDN Rising Star' maiden victory with a runner-up effort in the 2022 GI Florida Derby. He demolished the field with a 23-length victory in the GIII Dwyer Stakes and returned as a 4-year-old to win the GII Suburban Stakes. "Winning any graded race by 23 lengths, as Charge It did in the Dwyer, takes an immensely...

The Keeneland September Yearling Sale, which surpassed its record gross Thursday with two sessions still to go, concluded its blockbuster 12-day run Saturday in Lexington with increases across the board over its 2023 renewal. In addition to its record gross, the sale produced its highest-ever average and a tied its record median. "The energy here was at times reminiscent of another era," said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. "When we were on inspections earlier this year, we saw quality and consistency among the crop, and it gave us...

1st-BAQ, 90K, Msw, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 12:35 p.m. A pair of debuting colts both by Tapit will break side by side to open the card at Belmont's Aqueduct meeting Saturday. AU CONTRAIRE is a Stonestreet-bred son of MGISW Dream Rush (Wild Rush) who sold to Halsey Minor for $3.3m at FTKNOV in 2007. Her progeny include MGSW Dream Pauline (Tapit), SW and sire Atreides (Medaglia d'Oro) while her daughter, GISW Dreaming of Julia (A.P. Indy), has already produced a dual champion in Malathaat (Curlin) along with GSW Julia Shining (Curlin)....

Monique Delk, bidding on behalf of Vinnie Viola's St. Elias Stable, went to $900,000 to acquire a colt by Practical Joke (hip 1361) from the Gainesway consignment midway through Saturday's session of the Keeneland September sale. The colt is out of Ridingwiththedevil (Candy Ride {Arg}) and is a half-brother to multiple Grade I placed Reinvestment Risk (Upstart). The yearling was bred by Whisper Hill Farm, Gainesway Thoroughbreds, and Brian Graves.

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis & Jill Williams LEXINGTON, KY - Following another day of competitive bidding, the two-session Book 1 section of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale concluded Tuesday with double-digit increases over its 2023 counterpart. A colt by Curlin brought the section's top price when selling for $5 million to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. The sale topper was one of four by the Hill 'n' Dale stallion to bring $1 million or more on the day and, with a further 16 yearlings bringing seven figures Tuesday, Book...

A Curlin full-brother to MGISW Clairiere and an Into Mischief half-brother to GISW Girvin (Tale of Ekati)--both Stonestreet-breds--sold in a matter of minutes Tuesday afternoon at the Keeneland September sale for the two highest prices of the day thus far. Causing the biggest stir was hip 347, a Mar. 11-foaled chestnut colt by Curlin out of MGISW Cavorting (Bernardini), brought by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for $5 million after a protracted bidding battle. Cavorting has three foals to race: MGISW Clairiere, SW La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro), and MGSP Judge...

Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm went to $2.2 million for Hip 169, a Gun Runner colt out SW & MGSP Princesa Carolina (Tapit), on Monday at the Keeneland September sale. The gray colt, foaled Apr. 17 and consigned by Four Star Sales, was bred by Three Chimneys Farm. The $2.2-million colt is a grandson of MGISW Pure Clan (Pure Prize), who Borges Torrealba Holdings purchased for $4.5 million at the 2012 Keeneland November sale.

by Jessica Martini & Christina Bossinakis SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, which opened Monday with figures on pace for a third year of records, concluded Tuesday with an electric session which demolished the sale's previous high for gross, average, and median. At the close of business Tuesday, 154 yearlings sold for $82,160,000--highest ever in the auction's 103-year history, surpassing the previous record of $75,055,000 set last year. The average of $533,506 also improved on the 2023 record figure of $487,370, while the median of $425,000 bettered the...