Shedaresthedevil to Whisper Hill Band After $5M Buy

Those who watched American classic winner Shedaresthedevil  stride into the auction ring Nov. 6 may have felt a strong case of deja vu.

The 5-year-old daughter of Daredevil   hammered down for $5 million to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm Sunday at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's marquee breeding stock sale near Lexington, one year after she brought the same price at the same sale.

In 2021, Pope joined in with Qatar Racing and Flurry Racing Stables, the latter two among the original partners to campaign the Brad Cox trainee. This time, Pope bought out her partners to bring Shedaresthedevil home to her broodmare band.

"We have a couple (stallions) in mind," Pope said. "We'll have to see who else is going to retire. We'll probably go to Gun Runner, Flightline, one of the top stallions."

Consigned this time as Hip 233 by Hunter Valley Farm, Shedaresthedevil comes off a season in which she won the Fleur de Lis Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, ran second in the La Troienne Stakes Presented by Signify Health (G1), and was third in her last start, the Oct. 6 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1). She also ran third earlier in the season in the Azeri Stakes (G2).

Fergus Galvin of Hunter Valley was overcome by emotion after the sale.

"To be honest, we thought she wouldn't make as much as last year," he said. "Just fantastic and delighted that she's staying in the country. Have to thank Mandy for buying her and the underbidders. That mare is definitely the classiest mare we've ever been around.

"Brad still thought there was plenty left in her and there was. Her X-ray report after all her runs, 20-something runs, came back with not a bit of writing on her veterinary report. That'll tell you how tough and sound a mare she is. At the end of the day, Mandy got a lovely mare, we hate seeing her leave the farm."

Shedaresthedevil was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm out of the Congrats mare Starship Warpspeed, making her a half sister to stakes winner Mojovation and from the family of grade 1-place Crafty C.T. 

She first went through the sales ring as a weanling, selling for $100,000 to Big Cuse Bloodstock from Taylor Made Sales Agency's consignment to the 2017 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. She failed to meet her reserve when consigned by Warrendale Sales as a yearling back in the ring at Keeneland, where the hammer fell at $20,000. After beginning her racing career for Glencrest Farm, and after one start for that outlet in partnership with Qatar Racing, Flurry Racing went to $280,000 to buy her as a 2-year-old from Hunter Valley's consignment to the Keeneland November sale in 2019, Qatar Racing stayed in for a piece, and her incredible journey began. 

After one allowance start for Flurry and Qatar, Big Aut Farms joined the group to form the trio that would campaign Shedaresthedevil to her greatest successes. She brought home her first stakes win in March 2020 in the Honeybee Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park. In a year during which the American classic races were rescheduled for the fall due to the continued spread of COVID-19, the filly racked up extra points on her way to Churchill Downs with another win in the Indiana Oaks (G3). She went on to win the 2020 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) in record time.

At 4, Shedaresthedevil returned to win the Azeri Stakes (G3) and picked up additional honors in the La Troienne, Clement L. Hirsch, and Locust Grove Stakes (G3). She retires with a 10-3-6 record from 21 starts and $2,777,458 in earnings. 

Wicked Whisper Finds Fitting Home

With 'Whisper' in her name, 2019 Frizette Stakes (G1) winner Wicked Whisper  found a fitting home Sunday with Pope, who went to $2.9 million to take home the 5-year-old daughter of Liam's Map  .

"It was the perfect name," joked Whisper Hill general manager Todd Quast. "When they named the filly the skies and stars were aligned for Mandy to buy her."

Wicked Whisper was bred by Siena Farms out of the Bernardini mare Zeyanna and was a $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase in 2018 from Taylor Made Sales' consignment. She was campaigned by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong and trainer Steve Asmussen to three wins and a second from eight starts, with earnings of $471,550. She also won the 2020 Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course.

Consigned by Denali Stud as Hip 253, the half sister to multiple graded stakes-winning, grade 1-placed Point of Honor was barren when covered last year by Uncle Mo, and is carrying a first foal by Curlin.

"She's a lovely mare, she's done everything right, bred to Curlin; (Mandy) is very, very happy to have her... hopefully cross fingers it'll be a good thing down the road," Quast said.

Denali's Conrad Bandoroff said the chestnut mare has "an amazing physical."

"Alex and JoAnn Lieblong buy very good-looking fillies and she certainly fits that mold," he added. "She's fast, she was a good 2-year-old, and this was right in the upper range of what we thought she could bring. Not only did she have the physical, the pedigree, but she had the racetrack performance... we wish them the best of luck and are very appreciative of Mr. and Mrs. Lieblong for the opportunity to have such a wonderful mare."