Fasig-Tipton February: Whisper Hill lands Indian Vale for $725K

Photos by Z

Mandy Pope of Whisper Hill Farm inspects graded stakes winner Indian Vale at the Fasig-Tipton sale grounds. She later bought the mare for $725,000.

Multiple graded stakes winner Indian Vale became the latest addition to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm broodmare band, selling for $725,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky winter mixed sale Monday night.

The 9-year-old A.P. Indy mare, who was not bred last year, was offered by Taylor Made Sales, as agent for Eugene Melnyk's Winding Oaks Farm. Melnyk, a multiple Sovereign Award-winning owner and breeder, plans to exit the breeding business and concentrate on maintaining a quality racing string. He is selling the majority of his remaining broodmares at Fasig-Tipton.

Pope, who bid on Indian Vale by phone, made waves at the November breeding stock sales in Kentucky, purchasing 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace for a record $10 million at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale and 2011 Kentucky Oaks winner Plum Pretty for $4.2 million at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

Indian Vale won seven of 14 career starts, earning $838,601. She captured the Grade 2 Falls City Handicap and Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm Handicap as a 3-year-old, then trained on for another strong season as a 5-year-old, capturing the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap and Grade 3 Next Move Handicap. She was also multiple Grade 1 placed.

Indian Vale's first foal, the Distorted Humor colt Golden Ridge, was a winner last year at age three.

"Her year, she was rated at the top of her class as a 3-year-old filly," Winding Oaks general manager Phil Hronec said. "She's a Grade 2 winner. She's only had a few foals, and they're promising."

Indian Vale, who is out of the Grade 1 winning Forty Niner mare Marley Vale, is a full sister to stakes placed Belleplaine.

Another half sister, the unraced Storm Cat mare Navy Gardens, sold later in the evening for $275,000 to Robert E. and Lawana Low. The mare is in foal to Congrats.