After Mandy Pope of Whisper Hill Farm spent $1.1 million on A.P. Sonata, a filly by A.P. Indy—Moonlight Sonata, by Carson City, during the select session of the Keeneland September yearling sale Sept. 10, she expressed her hopes for great returns the next couple days.
"I’m hoping it’s going to be a very good Tuesday and Wednesday, because I have three horses selling," said Pope after making the $1.1 million purchase. "I need one to sell for a lot of money to pay for the one I just bought."
Luckily, one of those horses paid big dividends Sept. 11.
A bay filly by Tiznow —Storminthegarden, which Whisper Hill bred from a solid grass family, brought $500,000 during the second session of the Keeneland September yearling sale and became the third horse of the day to bring that amount or more.
Consigned by Sweezey and Partners as Hip No. 349, she was purchased by Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Estate Company. Shadwell was the leading buyer during the select session when it acquired four horses for $3,800,000, including the sale-topper, a $1.65 million Distorted Humor —Mushka colt, offered by Eaton Sales, agent.
Storminthegarden is an unraced daughter of Stormy Atlantic. Her dam, North of Eden (by Northfields), is a half sister to champion grass horse Theatrical. North of Eden is also the producer of champion grass horse Paradise Creek (by Irish River), and other grade I winners Forbidden Apple (by Pleasant Colony) and Wild Event (by Wild Again).
Two of North of Eden’s other offspring, Eden’s Causeway and Paradise River, are the respective dams of grade I winner Eden's Moon and English champion David Junior.
Storminthegarden is the dam of two other foals of racing age, including 3-year-old Yes It’s the Boy (by Yes It's True), who is placed in two starts in England.