Pope Swoops for Winning Colors Granddaughter

Whisper Hill Farm’s Mandy Pope, standing out back beside advisor Todd Quast, came away with the second highest-priced filly during yesterday’s session, a Tapit granddaughter of Winning Colors (Caro {Ire}) who, off a timely update over the weekend, brought $7000,000. The pretty gray filly is the second foal of Silver Colors (Mr. Greeley), the final foal from the 1988 GI Kentucky Derby heroine. On Sunday, the mare’s first foal, the juvenile colt Silver Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}), won on debut in a Woodbine maiden special Sept. 7 (video) for owners Jim and Susan Hill. 

“She’s gorgeous, and obviously she has a wonderful grandmother,” said Pope. “She was very elegant and did everything right, and she had a great heartscan. She’s racy and balanced, and hopefully she’ll be a good racehorse.” 
Gainesway bred and consigned the filly as Hip 249. Pope said she hasn’t decided who will train the filly. 

Based in Florida, Pope has built up one of the most impressive boutique broodmare bands in the world in the last few years, with mares like Horse of the Year Havre de Grace (Saint Liam) and GI Kentucky Oaks winner Plum Pretty (Medaglia d’Oro) in the fold. Pope hasn’t slowed her yearling buying, however. 

“We bought two at Saratoga, six at the New York-bred sale, and this is the second one we’ve bought here,” she said. 

“We’re still buying.” 

Later in the session, Pope reached to a session-topping $1.6 million to secure hip 345, an Unbridled’s Song colt. On Monday, the active Pope purchased another filly by Tapit (hip 22), going to $400,000 for a Lane’s End-consigned daughter of Grade I winner Leave Me Alone (Bold Badgett). 

Later today, Pope will don her seller’s hat at September. Through Wayne Sweezey’s Sweezey and Partners draft, she offers Hip 501, a filly by Giant’s Causeway from SW & GSP Capote’s Crown (Capote), a half to GISW Smoke Glacken (Two Punch) and MGSW Smokey Glacken (Forestry). “She’s a gorgeous filly, and the mare is the dam of Kristo [Distorted Humor], who’s graded placed in two stakes this year in California.” -LM