Tapit

Tapit Trice, Il Miracolo Work Towards Belmont

'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit), a latest seventh to Mage (Good Magic) in the GI Kentucky Derby May 6, went five furlongs in 1:00.22 over a fast Belmont main track Friday morning in his penultimate work ahead of the GI Belmont S. at Big Sandy June 10. He galloped out three-quarters of a mile in a strong 1:12.60 and was up seven furlongs in 1:25. "Super breeze, big gallop out," trainer Todd Pletcher said following the work. "He seems to really like the main track here. I'm very, very...

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F-T Midlantic Opener Builds Up Steam With $800K Mendelssohn Filly on Top

TIMONIUM, MD - The opening session of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale got off to a tepid start at the Maryland State Fairgrounds Monday morning, but momentum built throughout a session which ultimately produced figures ahead of the auction's record-setting 2022 renewal. "It was a strong start to the sale," Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said at the close of business Monday. "There was significant increase in average price compared to the first day and the overall sale last year. It was certainly an acceptable...

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Top to Bottom: Derby Rundown

This week's Triple Crown feature examines the trips of GI Kentucky Derby runners in detail from first to last: 1) Mage (No. 12 in TDN pre-race rankings) Mage, the little horse who could, was a characteristic beat slow out of the starting gate. Javier Castellano let him roll with the flow as the field sorted itself out through the first furlong, then darted to secure the rail while fourth-last the first time under the wire. Unhurried through the turn, this son of Good Magic ($235,000 KEESEP; $290,000 EASMAY) raced several...

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Kentucky Derby Day 149 is Here!

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The late B. Wayne Hughes will be smiling somewhere on this first Saturday in May. Unbeaten GII Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo), an $800,000 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream breezer, will carry the famed orange-and-purple colors of Spendthrift Farm while making just his fourth career start in the 149th GI Kentucky Derby. "Our primary business really is standing stallions, but when we can go to a sale and get a horse that has a shot to make it to the stud barn, that's what we're trying to do," Spendthrift's...

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Old Friends Homecoming Auction Bidding Opens for Collector Halters, Secretariat Portrait

Old Friends will host its 18th Annual Homecoming Event Sunday, May 7th, beginning at 12 noon. The event features a live and silent auction of artwork, prints, and racing memorabilia, including several premiere collectible stallion halters. Absentee bidding for halters, which are all accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, is currently open. On the block are halters worn by the following horses: Afleet Alex, Charismatic, Constitution, Da Hoss, Essential Quality, Feathered, Lava Man, Nashville, Pioneerof The Nile, Silver Charm and Tapit. The deadline to receive bids is Saturday, May 6,...

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Tapit Trice Proving Well Worth the Price

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- There isn't a more expensive sales graduate in the 20-horse field for the GI Kentucky Derby than Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit). The $1.3-million Keeneland September yearling graduate, bred in Kentucky by Antony Beck's operation, has gone on to validate that seven-figure pricetag in spades, bringing a four-race winning streak into the first Saturday in May off the heels of eye-catching, come-from-behind victories for Todd Pletcher in the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby and GI Toyota Blue Grass S....

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Wednesday's Kentucky Derby Report: No Shortage of 'Confidence'

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - One of the more buzzed about workouts leading up to the first Saturday in May has been Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg})'s eye-catching, five-furlong bullet in :59 for trainer Keith Desormeaux at Churchill Downs last weekend. The steam behind the last-out Feb. 25 GII Rebel S. winner continued to build on a very lively backstretch as he led out the GI Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses with authority at 7:30 a.m. on another chilly and breezy Wednesday morning. 'TDN Rising Star' Tapit Trice (Tapit) is certainly another...

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American Stallions Represented Among Nine Wildcards In Arqana Breeze-Up Catalogue

Nine more juveniles have been catalogued for Arqana's upcoming Breeze-Up Sale on May 13. Among them is a granddaughter of group winner Sea Of Heartbreak (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) by Sea The Stars (Ire) (lot 186); lot 187, a colt by Mehmas (Ire) from the family of Classic winner Resless Kara (Fr) (Akarad {Fr}); Too Darn Hot (GB)'s lot 191, a colt out of a sister to Group 1 winner Cityscape (GB) (Selkirk); and a colt out of Grade I winner Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown) by Calyx (GB) (lot 194)....

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Tuesday's Kentucky Derby Report: Trio of Breezers Bring the Morning 'Thunder'

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A trio of GI Kentucky Derby workers enjoyed the spotlight during training hours on a brisk Tuesday morning beneath the Twin Spires. Derma Sotogake (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) was hard held beneath Masatoshi Segawa and ready to do much more as he hit the top of the stretch. He finished up strongly once let loose down the lane and completed his four-furlong breeze in :49.60 (13/20). The G2 UAE Derby winner will be ridden in the Kentucky Derby by Christophe Lemaire. His countrymate Mandarin Hero (Jpn) (Shanghai...

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Champion Forte Draws Post 15 for Kentucky Derby, Tabbed as 3-1 Favorite

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- There was very little suspense during Monday afternoon's GI Kentucky Derby post position draw held in the Aristides Lounge at Churchill Downs as Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's champion 2-year-old colt and 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) immediately kicked things off by drawing very well on the outside in post 15. Tabbed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the full field of 20, last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner overcame more than his share of adversity beneath regular rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. while punching his...

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Saturday Insights: Zandon Makes His Return

8th-AQU, $84K, OC, 4yo/up, 1m, 5:06 p.m. ZANDON (Upstart), last seen running fourth Dec. 3 in the GI Cigar Mile at Aqueduct, returns to the scene on Saturday in this spot for owner Jeff Drown. Receiving Lasix for the first time, the Chad Brown trainee will be ridden by Flavien Prat and will leave from gate two. Zandon's 3-year-old campaign included a victory in the GI Toyota Blue Grass S., and a pair of third-place finishes in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Runhappy Travers S. His dam Memories Prevail...

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Proxy Gets 'Last' Laugh In Oaklawn Handicap

The names of some of this country's most accomplished Thoroughbred owners grace the honor roll as winners of the GII Oaklawn H., including Loblolly Stable, Greentree Stable, Allen Paulson, Golden Eagle, John Franks, Ogden Phipps, Jerry Moss, Pin Oak Stable and the late Oaklawn president Charles Cella. Following the conclusion of nine sometimes rough-and-tumble furlongs Saturday in Hot Springs, you can now add the name of Godolphin to the list, as the operation's immaculately bred 5-year-old Proxy (Tapit) stormed down the center of the track and managed to outfinish defending...

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