NEWS
Whitehall enjoys first winner, buys A. P. Warrior colt for $85,000
Posted: Sunday, August 08, 2010 11:32 PM
by Pete Denk
New York-based racing partnership Whitehall Stable was active at both Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sales this past week and celebrated its first winner at Saratoga Race Course in between the sales.
Trust of Honor, a Speightstown colt out of Explosive Beauty, by Proudest Romeo, won Thursday’s seventh race, a $20,000 maiden claiming event, by two lengths.
“We were delighted to get our first win at Saratoga, and we think we’re going to win a lot more races from this point forward,” said Whitehall President James Pippo, who formed the partnership two years ago. “We had family and friends there, and a win at Saratoga will help our program rise.”
Whitehall bought the colt for $140,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September yearling sale.
“It’s not an easy game, and our first crop took some time to get there,” Pippo said. “We really haven’t had that many starters yet, but we have a great bunch of new two-year-olds and a lot more will be starting at this Saratoga meet. We think we have a wonderful crop of horses coming up, and we continue to invest at the sales.”
Whitehall bought an A. P. Warrior colt out of Road to Mandalay, by Sea of Secrets, for $85,000 from Thorndale Farm, agent, at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred preferred yearling sale Sunday night. At Saturday’s session Whitehall bought a Dixieland Band colt out of Camargo (Ire), by Brief Truce, for $30,000, also from Thorndale.
Earlier this week at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale, Whitehall bought a Gone West colt out of Hope for a Breeze, by Briartic, for $110,000 and a Ghostzapper colt out of Talent Lady, by Personal Flag for $50,000.
“We bought two wonderful colts at the Saratoga select sale, the Dixieland Band colt last night, and then tonight we got a wonderful individual by A. P. Warrior,” Pippo said. “We hope people realize Whitehall is in the industry to stay. We care a lot, we engage our partners, and we’re buying horses in a range that will give a lot of people a chance to win some big races. We’ve got a big stake in the game.”
Whitehall bought the $275,000 sale topper at the 2009 New York-bred sale, a Medaglia d’Oro colt out of Miss Mary (Arg), by Southern Halo, named Main Principal.
“Main Principal is doing wonderful. He’s a big horse that is maturing within himself, and he’ll have one of his first breezes very soon,” Pippo said. “He’s a wonderful mover who just covers ground. It’s our dream to get to the big event, and he’s one that could take us there.”
Whitehall has been working with trainer Seth Benzel, and in April of this year trainer Linda Rice joined the team.
“We’re delighted to have Linda Rice with us. Last year she won the trainer’s title at Saratoga, first lady to do that in 140 years, and she’s going to the sales picking horses for us along with Seth,” Pippo said.
Rice said she is excited to be training and picking out horses for Whitehall.
“Frankly, it gives me some strength at the auctions to buy some horses I believe in, so I’m excited about that,” Rice said. “Whitehall is really a lot of fun. They have a lot of energy and enthusiasm for racing, which is contagious.”
Pete Denk is sales editor of Thorougbred Times
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Posted by: Linda , New York , NY on September 17, 2010 at 09:01 AM
Seriously, how can you even print this! Whitehall boasting about winning a $20,000 CLAIMING RACE with a horse purchased for $140,000 with probably another $75,000 into training. How is this justified to the partners? Perhaps they need a tax write-off?
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