6/30/13 - Tale of a Champion Lives Up to Name in Whittingham

Five-year-old TALE OF A CHAMPION (Tale of the Cat) turned a perfect trip into his first graded stakes score June 8 when he won the $200,000 Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap (G2) by a length over five others.

The bay horse broke cleanly and quickly settled in on the rail, just behind the pacesetter and his shadow. Sticking to his inside trip, Tale of a Champion kept pace with the leader down the backstretch and into the far turn. Ready to make his move, Tale of a Champion split horses coming out of the final turn and took the lead. The winner was kept busy down the stretch as he held off a late closer and was unbeatable of this day. Tale of a Champion completed 1 1/4 miles in 2:01 1/5 over the firm Hollywood Park turf course.

Tale of a Champion now has six wins from 14 starts and has earned nearly $270,000. A stakes winner last year, he entered the Whittingham off a victory in the confidence-building March Madness Starter Handicap.

Bred in Kentucky, Tale of a Champion was produced from Seattle Slew's winning daughter If Angels Sang. The 19-year-old broodmare is also the dam of Tale of a Champion's multiple Group 3 winner full sister, Ilusora, as well as an unraced two-year-old filly named Angel's Flight (Rock Hard Ten) and a Scat Daddy (Johannesburg) colt foaled this spring.

Congratulations to Tale of a Champion, owner Kretz Racing, breeders Judy Hicks and Kathryn Nikkel, trainer Kristin Mulhall, jockey Joe Talamo and the rest of the horse's connections. The Slew Crew wishes you continued success.


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