Letters to the Editor: Rinaldo Del Gallo On Tapit

Sometimes a historical moment has to be pointed out. Australian (GB), Fair Play and Fair Play's son Man O' War each sired three GI Belmont S. winners. Lexington sired four Belmont winners who all won at Jerome Park. Now Tapit joins the illustrious ranks of Lexington.

Like Lexington, Tapit has now sired four winners of the Belmont: Essential Quality, Tapwrit, Creator and Tonalist. Tapit also sired Belmont runners-up Tacitus and Frosted, as well as Belmont third finishers Hofburg and Lani. An asterisk might be added for last year's fluke 2020 Belmont, which was 1 1/8 miles, where Tapit was the grandsire in the race won by Tiz the Law, sired by Tapit's son Constitution.

Broomstick sired three GI Preakness S. winners (and two GI Kentucky Derby winners). Bull Lea had three Kentucky Derby winners, as did Falsetto, Sir Gallahad (Fr) and Virgil. No horse has sired four winners of either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness.

So when we speak of a horse that has sired four horses of an American Classic such as Tapit, this is rarified blood only accomplished by the legendary Lexington.