Tapit, already among the leading sires of 2013, hit for a trifecta Feb. 2 with three of his 3-year-old runners earning graded stakes wins in the span of about two hours.
A 12-year-old son of Pulpit—Tap Your Heels, by Unbridled, Tapit has sired 40 stakes winners, 10 of which are grade I winners. Raced by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Tapit stands at Gainesway Farm near Lexington. His 2013 fee is listed at $125,000.
For the year, just into its fifth weekend, he has four stakes winners including Joyful Victory, who set a track record while winning the $400,000 Sam Houston Ladies’ Classic Stakes Jan. 26.
Tapit’s terrific triple started around 3:30 p.m. EST when Besilu Stable’s Tapicat went wire-to-wire as the 9-10 favorite in the Florida Oaks (gr. IIIT) at Tampa Bay Downs. Bred by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Gainesway Thoroughbreds, Tapicat was a $725,000 Keeneland September sale graduate. A winner twice over the turf at Gulfstream, Tapicat closed with a sub :30 final three-sixteenths to win the 1 1/16-mile test in 1:41.89. She is the first foal out Zealous Cat, by Storm Cat.
A little more than an hour and a half later, Gary and Mary West’s Flashback rolled to a 6 1/4-length score in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita. Bred by Dr. William Andrade and Michael Hernon, Flashback covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.95 in the Triple Crown trail prep race.
A full brother to two-time grade I winner Zazu, Flashback was a $260,000 sale weanling to the West’s bloodstock agent Ben Glass at the 2010 Keeneland November sale.
As Flashback was crossing the wire at Santa Anita, Joseph Bucci’s 3-year-old Honorable Dillon was entering the gate for the seven-furlong Hutcheson Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park. The Eddie Kenneally-trained colt rallied from fourth to win by a half-length over 9-5 favorite Forty Tales .
Honorable Dillon RNA’d as a Book One yearling at the Keeneland September sale and was purchased by Kenneally, as agent, for $100,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida March 2-year-old sale. The gray/roan colt is out of the Shy Tom mare Shy Greeting and was bred in Kentucky by Robert B. Trussell Jr.
Tapit was the fourth leading sire of 2012 by progeny earnings, headed by Tapizar , winner of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I), and Hansen. Tapit was the leading first-crop sire and leading juvenile sire of 2008. He was third on the second-crop sire list of 2009 and third on the third-crop list the following year.
Tapit’s sire, Pulpit, died in December but the pride and joy of Claiborne Farm wasn’t left out Feb. 2. The Wests' Guilt Trip, by Pulpit—Mysterieuse Etoile, by Quiet American, won the $200,000 Strub Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita.
Flashback is by Tapit.
Benoit Photography