Mandy Pope

Tapit Trice Proving Well Worth the Price

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- There isn't a more expensive sales graduate in the 20-horse field for the GI Kentucky Derby than Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit). The $1.3-million Keeneland September yearling graduate, bred in Kentucky by Antony Beck's operation, has gone on to validate that seven-figure pricetag in spades, bringing a four-race winning streak into the first Saturday in May off the heels of eye-catching, come-from-behind victories for Todd Pletcher in the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby and GI Toyota Blue Grass S....

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Horse of the Year Havre de Grace Passes Away

Havre de Grace (Saint Liam--Easter Bunnette, by Carson City), the 2011 Horse of the Year and Eclipse Award-winning older mare who sold to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm for $10 million at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, passed away in the early morning hours of Apr. 30. Wayne Sweezey, who boarded Havre de Grace at his Timber Town Farm, confirmed that the 16-year-old mare hemorrhaged multiple times and died after producing a colt by Into Mischief the afternoon of Apr. 28. "She was just so smart, she fought all the...

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APB: Charge It 'Ready for a Big 4yo Campaign'

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack tracks down top horses on the sidelines. Whisper Hill Farm homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (c, 3, Tapit--I'll Take Charge, by Indian Charlie), off since posting a jaw-dropping, 23-length victory in the GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont Park July 2, is gearing up for a 4-year-old campaign. Forced to miss intended second-half targets in the GI Runhappy Travers S. and GI Pennsylvania Derby with a foot issue, Charge It has since posted a trio of breezes this winter...

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Keeneland November Opener Starts, And Ends, With a Bang

by Jessica Martini, Christie DeBernardis & Christina Bossinakis LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale opened with a jam-packed pavilion and the $4.6-million sale of the fractional interest in superstar Flightline (Tapit) and hit another high late in the day with the $5.5-million sale of champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) to Katsumi Yoshida Monday in Lexington. By the end of the opening session of the auction, 136 head had grossed $66,980,000. The average of $492,500 was up 14.77% from a year ago, while the median dipped 12.12% to...

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Pope Gets in on the Action at KEENOV

Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm was active, per usual, at the top of the market at Fasig-Tipton November Sunday evening, and Pope picked up right where she left off Monday across town at Keeneland. She went to $2.3 million to pick up 5-year-old racing or broodmare prospect Four Graces (Majesticperfection), a MGSW/GISP half-sister to MGSW young sire McCraken from a deep Whitham family. The near $500,000 earner was consigned by Denali Stud has hip 192.

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Pope Strikes Again for Wicked Whisper

Whisper Hill Farm's Mandy Pope had already signed the $5-million ticket for GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) during Fasig-Tipton's Night of the Stars, and she made another high-dollar addition to her world-class broodmare band when spending $2.9 million to secure 2019 GI Frizette S. heroine Wicked Whisper (Liam's Map). Barren to Uncle Mo in her first mating, the half-sister to GSW/MGISP Point of Honor (Curlin) was carrying a first foal by that one's top sire. The Steve Asmussen-trained Wicked Whisper was a $500,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Alex and...

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$5 Million, Again, for Shedaresthedevil

2020 GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) brought $5 million at Fasig-Tipton November 12 months ago when Mandy Pope of Whisper Hill Farm partnered with her previous campaigners--Flurry Racing Stables and Qatar Racing. This time around, Pope went to the same price to buy out those partners and take home the $2,777,458 earner. Since last year's transaction, Shedaresthedevil took the GII Fleur de Lis S. amid placings in the GII Azeri S., GI La Troienne S. and GI Clement L. Hirsch S. She was consigned to the sale as a...

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Into Mischief Colt Tops Another Banner Day at KEESEP

By Christie DeBernardis and Jessica Martini A $1.4-million son of super sire Into Mischief (Hip 604) led a sextet of seven-figure sellers during the opening session of Book 2 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale Wednesday. Consigned by Summerfield on behalf of Stonestreet Stables, the colt was purchased by Larry Best of OXO Equine. With six horses eclipsing the million-dollar mark Wednesday, the sale total now comes to 28. During the equivalent session last year, just two yearlings brought seven figures, including the $1.7-million sale topper. "It was a great...

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Pope Strikes for Tapit Filly at KEESEP

Mandy Pope outlasted Chad Brown, who was bidding on behalf of Peter Brant, to take home a Tapit filly out of MSW & GSP Danzatrice (Dunkirk) (Hip 603) for $1.1 million during the Book 2 opener at Keeneland Wednesday. The chestnut was bred and sold by Gainesway. Her dam is a half-sister to champion Jaywalk (Cross Traffic). Pope purchased the filly's full-brother for at the auction last year for $1.3 million with Gainesway staying in for a piece. He is now named Tapit Trice and is in training with Todd...

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Quality Road Filly Kick Starts Keeneland September

A filly by Quality Road helped get the Keeneland September Yearling Sale off to a quick start Monday in Lexington when selling for $1.2 million. Claiborne Farm's Bernie Sams signed the ticket on the bay yearling on behalf of an undisclosed client. The bay filly (hip 8) was consigned by Gainesway and was bred by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm, which purchased her dam, Princesa Silvia (Medaglia d'Oro), for $1.4 million at the 2016 Keeneland November sale. The mare is a half-sister to champion Saint Liam (Saint Ballado), Grade I...

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Havre de Grace's Saint Tapit Goes Two-for-Two at the Spa

8th-Saratoga, $115,000, Alw, 8-6, (NW1$X), 3yo/up, 7f, 1:23.90, gd, 1 1/2 lengths. SAINT TAPIT (c, 3, Tapit--Havre de Grace {Horse Of The Year, Ch. Older Mare, MGISW, $2,586,175}, by Saint Liam) graduated by four lengths on debut at Belmont June 26 and was favored at 8-5 to repeat here in this first try against winners. With the track freshly sealed after rain poured down over Saratoga, the blue-blooded chestnut tracked from a two-wide third through a :22.93 opening quarter. He drew even with the leader as the half went up...

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Shedaresthedevil Returns to Winning Ways in Fleur de Lis

Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) returned to the scene of her greatest triumph for Saturday's GII Fleur de Lis S. and came home a winner for the first time since taking this venue's GIII Locust Grove S. in September. It was her sixth win from seven starts at Churchill Downs with one second. The slight second choice behind Pauline's Pearl (Tapit), who defeated her in the GI La Troienne S. May 6, Shedaresthedevil glided up to stalk from second as Super Quick (Super Saver) carved out early splits of :24.13 and :47.83. Turning...

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