Michael Hernon

In a year of remembrance for the late Marylou Whitney, a tribute to her program’s success on the track and in the breeding shed can be seen this fall every time a weanling from the first crop of Bird Song walks through the ring. Bird Song, a 6-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song, raced as a […]

The march of Gainesway’s cornerstone sire Tapit through the very highest points of the North American auction market continued on Monday during the first session of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearlings Sale, powered by the evening’s two most expensive offerings. The duo headlined a session that posted average and median sale prices well in excess […]

Currently standing for $225,000 at Gainesway in Lexington, Kentucky, Tapit has produced three of the last five Belmont Stakes winners in Tonalist (2014), Creator (2016) and Tapwrit (2017). On Saturday, three sons of Tapit will contest the final leg of the Triple Crown – Tacitus, Intrepid Heart and Bourbon War. Mark Hernon, Director of Sales at Gainseway, said that […]

Tapwrit, a classic winner and millionaire by Tapit, is off to a solid start at stud with a number of his first mares bred already confirmed in foal. “Reminiscent of his sire Tapit, Tapwrit has made a fast start to his stud career,” said Michael Hernon of Gainesway. “Tapwrit is showing strong libido and very […]

It takes a lot to make history at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Selected Mixed Sale, and a steady run of seven-figure horses helped do just that, with European champion Lady Aurelia and a record-priced weanling spearheading what was a record gross for the elite auction. Sunday’s renewal finished with 140 horses sold for all-time high […]

Gainesway, agent for Normandy Farm, will offer Grade 1 winner and millionaire Daddys Lil Darling at the upcoming Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The 4-year-old filly will be offered as a broodmare prospect. A daughter of top international sire Scat Daddy, Daddys Lil Darling provided many memorable wins for her owner and breeder, the late Nancy Polk […]

Sometimes, breeding top-class horses looks so easy. Just take three-time leading sire Tapit (by Pulpit) and breed him to a mare who won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and there you have it, champion Unique Bella, who won the Eclipse Award as the best sprint filly of 2017. Doesn’t that look simple? Unique Bella makes it […]

A young stallion with his future on the brink and an older, proven star of the stallion ranks sired the winners of the two important 3-year-old preps at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Saturday, Feb. 17. The once-beaten Monomoy Girl is a second-crop daughter of the Tapit stallion Tapizar, whose offspring so invigorated […]

Michael Hernon shows up frequently at racetracks to watch horses bred, sold or sired by stallions of Lexington’s Gainesway Farm, where he is director of sales. But Monday morning at Churchill Downs, Hernon was on hand to watch a horse produced from his own very small broodmare band: Hollywood Handsome. The relatively late addition to […]

With a victory in the Grade 3 Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct on Nov. 14, Mr Maybe became the latest stakes winner and graded winner for Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, the most successful stallion son of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Awesome Again. Journalist and racing scribe Red Smith, for whom the handicap was named, […]