Wissahickon followed up victories in an Aug. 14 handicap at Chelmsford City and in Newmarket’s Sept. 29 Cambridgeshire H. with a first black-type score in the Dec. 22 Listed Quebec S. over this course and distance, and continued in similar vein with another polished success here. Penalised three pounds for that latest triumph and positioned in a stalking third for the most part, the odds-on chalk was boxed in full of run turning for home and quickened smartly once angled outside passing the eighth pole to double his stakes tally in nonchalant fashion.

“Wissahickon got in a box, but managed to conjure his way out,” reflected trainer John Gosden. “He has a good turn of foot, but he did well to quicken up from that position. The obvious plan is to go for the [Feb. 23 G3] Winter Derby [over course and distance]. He’s a lovely horse and will probably end up racing in America come the fall and next year. He is a Tapit, so he is really going to suit the surfaces out there. He has run a lovely race today and enjoys this surface.”

Wissahickon is one of nine winners from as many runners out of GI Del Mar Oaks heroine No Matter What (Nureyev) and is kin to a quartet of stakes performers headed by MG1SW European champion Rainbow View (Dynaformer) and MGISP GIII Arlington H.-winning sire Just As Well (A.P. Indy). No Matter What has also produced the 2-year-old colt Repaupo (Quality Road), who ran second in all three starts last term, and a yearling colt by Temple City.

Just As Well stands at Spring Valley Stud and has had 10 wins for the season from small numbers, including Black Type winner Just Chaos. He is also the sire of Just As I Said, Just Cruising (Gr3 Caradoc Cup winner) and CTS Ready To Run Cup winner, Chilli Con Carne.

-TDN.com

A Tapit  colt that is a half brother to champion and Lane’s End stallion Honor Code and Rathmor’s Noble Tune sold to Chris Baccari for $1.05 million during the 9 November session of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale, the highest-priced weanling at the time of his selling.

Consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales, the dark bay colt is out of the top-producing Storm Cat mare, Serena’s Cat, whose offspring have been extemely popular in recent years.

A half sibling to the Tapit colt sold for $2.6 million at last year’s Keeneland November sale with a full sibling bringing a then-North American record weanling price of $3 million at the 2014 exercise.

Given those prior levels, Baccari felt he got one of the steals of the sales in the colt he purchased in the name of his Baccari Bloodstock on behalf of a partnership.

“That’s a very very hard pedigree to get into,” said Baccari, who said the partnership could race the colt or resell him. “I happened to see the colt on the farm ahead of time so I had the ability to see what I was going to get into. He’s just a very special horse. Very hard to find that kind of pedigree with that kind of sire power.

“I just felt like he could have brought a lot of money here,” Baccari continued. “But it’s like anything, he’s a younger foal and he’s been here for several days. When I first saw him he was very sharp and the last two days he was probably a little sluggish for some people. But I remembered what he looked like. That’s why I thought if I have the ability to get him, I’m going to try.”

In addition to Honor Code, the Tapit colt is also a half brother to multiple Graded Stakes winner and Gr1 Breeders Cup placed Noble Tune.

“I think the horse was a great value to the buyer,” said Hill ‘n’ Dale’s John Sikura.

Mares due to foal this year include Gypsy Queen, the dam of American and South African Gr1 winner, Gypsy’s Warning.

– extract bloodhorse.com