Pope Spends $4.2 Million on Plum Pretty

After spending $10 million on 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace at the Nov. 5 Fasig-Tipton November sale, Mandy Pope of Whisper Hill Farm still wasn't done shopping. The following day, the Florida-based veteran breeder went to $4.2 million for another stellar broodmare prospect in Plum Pretty during the first session of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro , winner of the 2011 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) and Cotillion (gr. II), plus the April 13 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I), was consigned as Hip No. 96 by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent.

"We are trying to upgrade our broodmare band and make some big adjustments in the quality," said Pope after signing the ticket for Plum Pretty, who will be boarded at Wayne Sweezy's Timber Town Stable near Lexington along with Havre de Grace. "Plum Pretty is another fantastic racemare and also a very kind mare.

"She and Havre de Grace are going to have a very loving home (at Timber Town) and I may just move into the stall in between the two of them," she added with a laugh.

Four-year-old Plum Pretty, who was trained throughout her career by Bob Baffert for John Fort's Peachtree Stable, retired with earnings of $1,688,746.

Bred in Pennsylvania by Silent Indy Stables and DDS Stables, Plum Pretty is out of the A.P. Indy mare Liszy, whose dam is grade III winner Silent Account (by Private Account). She is also from the family of grade I winner Secret Hello.

Plum Pretty was an RNA at auction on two separate occasions as a yearling. She was bought for $130,000 by Fort at the 2010 Ocala Breeders' Sale Co.'s March 2-year-old sale from Kirkwood Stables, agent.

Pope said the $4.2 million price for Plum Pretty was in line with her expectations. "After last night I figured this mare was about where we'd have to be," she said. "Now we've got two grand racemares...hopefully Whisper Hill Farm is going to make a name for itself in a couple of years when they have their babies."

When asked what she liked about Plum Pretty besides her race record, Pope noted the filly was "very well-balanced and has a lot of size to her. We looked at her dam (Liszy), which I also thought was pretty and had good size, so hopefully that will transform into the next generation of babies."