Two Fipke homebreds enter stallion market

Charles Fipke made his fortune as a risk-taking geologist whose pursuit of his profession led to the groundbreaking discovery of diamond mines in Canada. Fipke has been similarly bold in his pursuit of Thoroughbred gems. In recent years, he has campaigned a homebred Eclipse Award champion in Forever Unbridled; seen her dam, Lemons Forever, honored as Broodmare of the Year; developed a number of his homebred runners into consistent sires; and has seen two runners by those sires hit the board in American classic events at long prices.

This year, Fipke continues to develop his program with two homebred stallion prospects headed to stud in Kentucky. Bee Jersey, winner of the stallion-making Metropolitan Handicap, will stand at Darby Dan Farm in Lexington, while classic-placed Tale of Verve will begin his second career at Fipke’s own C.F. Farms near Paris.

Bee Jersey, by Jersey Town, won all four of his starts this year, including the Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park and then the Metropolitan, edging multiple Grade 1 winner Mind Your Biscuits. He posted a Beyer Speed Figure of 109. That turned out to be the final start of his career, as he was retired later in the year with a tendon injury.

“Bee Jersey was one of the fastest horses of the year, evidenced by the Beyer Speed Figures he ran,” said Ryan Norton, stallion director at Darby Dan. “He possessed raw speed, was an excellent miler, and put together tremendous back-to-back winning performances in the Steve Sexton Mile and the Metropolitan Handicap.”

Bee Jersey is one of two Met Mile winners entering stud this year, along with impressive 2017 victor Mor Spirit at Spendthrift Farm. The race has been won throughout its 125-year history by prominent stallions such as Tom Fool (1953), Native Dancer (1954), and Buckpasser (1967). A Grade 1 race since the North American graded stakes system began in 1973, it has been won more recently by prominent sires Tentam (1973), Cox’s Ridge (1978), Fappiano (1981), Gulch (1987-88), Ghostzapper (2005), and Quality Road (2010).

“The Met Mile is one of the most storied stallion-making races in our sport,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift’s general manager.

Darby Dan has long partnered with Fipke, and Bee Jersey will join his homebred stallions Perfect Soul and Tale of Ekati at the farm. Jersey Town, whose biggest win for Fipke came in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile in 2010, also began his stud career there before moving to Road’s End Farm in British Columbia for the 2018 season. With the success of Bee Jersey, from his first crop, the stallion will relocate to Daehling Ranch Thoroughbreds, near Elk Grove, Calif., for 2019.

Tale of Verve, a son of Tale of Ekati, is out of the Unbridled mare Verve, with whom Fipke has had success. She also is the dam of Grade 3 winner Verve’s Tale and stakes-placed Perfect Soul. Tale of Verve, a winner who earned more than $500,000 on the track, finished second to subsequent Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the 2015 Preakness Stakes, beaten seven lengths at 28-1.