Tale of Verve Retired to Stud in Kentucky
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Photo: Rick Samuels
Tale of Verve finished second to American Pharoah in the 2015 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course
Charles Fipke's homebred classic-placed Tale of Verve has been retired from racing and will stand the 2019 breeding season at Fipke's C.F. Farms near Paris, Ky., for a $2,000 fee (live foal stands and nurses).
The 6-year-old son of grade 1 winner Tale of Ekati , who Fipke also bred and raced, broke his maiden at Keeneland by two lengths in April of his 3-year-old year and jumped straight to the highest level in his next start, the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (G1), where he finished second behind eventual Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year American Pharoah . He retires with earnings of $500,245.
Tale of Ekati, a millionaire son of Tale of the Cat, won four graded stakes at 2 and 3, including the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) and Hill 'n' Dale Cigar Mile Handicap (G1). He also finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1). Tale of Ekati stands at Darby Dan Farm.
Tale of Verve is a full brother to Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) entrant Verve's Tale, a grade 1-placed, graded stakes winner of $616,400. Their dam, Verve, is an Unbridled half sister to grade 1 winner Zoftig (Cozzene), who is the same of grade 1 winners and stakes producers Zo Impressive and Zaftig.
Verve's female line also traces back to the Claiborne Farm mare Continue, whose daughters File and Tuerta produced champions and sires Forty Niner and Swale.