Tapit

At almost no point during the opening 6 1/2 furlongs of Saturday's GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby did things look particularly promising for Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's heavily favored Tapit Trice (Tapit). But in a stretch rally befitting his status as a 'TDN Rising Star', the $1.3-million Keeneland September graduate went through his gears and whistled home to--somewhat unbelievably--post an open-lengths victory over Classic Car Wash (Noble Bird) and Classic Legacy (Into Mischief), the third- and fourth-place finishers, respectively, in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. four...

We had the Forte (Violence) bit last week. Now for the piano. The champion juvenile resumed his sonata in virtuoso fashion, reprising themes established in its first movement with familiar verve. From his barnmate Tapit Trice, in contrast, we have so far only had a couple of experimental arpeggios--but even those have sufficed for their trainer to remove the local trial winner from his path in the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby on Saturday. Now there are perfectly coherent grounds within his own game plan for evicting Litigate (Blame)...

8th-FG, $50k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 5:45 p.m. ET WICKED AGAIN (Gun Runner), a full-brother to MGSW and last term's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint third-place finisher Wicked Halo, kicks off his career for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. The Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred, drawn on the inside in post two and favored on the morning line at 5-2, fired back-to-back, five-furlong bullets for this, including a 1:00 2/5 (1/8) drill Feb. 21. Wicked Again's dam Just Wicked (Tapit) won the 2015 GII Adirondack S. at Saratoga. The field of...

Since 2004, we've shined the spotlight on over 1,500 'TDN Rising Stars' worldwide, recognition given to a horse early on its career who has done something so impressive on the racetrack that our team believes they will go on to become graded stakes winners.  A horse is designated as a 'Rising Star' by the TDN staff after a careful and comprehensive review of many factors--including the quality of the field, margin and time of victory, pedigree, sales price and more. Over the years, it has become a badge of honor...

With the 2023 season upon us, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why. Here is what Tracy Farmer had to say about his broodmare band for 2023. We had a great few years on the track and we retired our GI Belmont Stakes Winner Sir Winston to Crestwood Farm in Lexington, KY this year, so we will offer him a lot of support both in the stallion barn now and in the sales...

The road to the Triple Crown heats up in New Orleans Saturday with the GII Risen Star S. and GII Rachel Alexandra S. A full field of 14 will line up in the former, led by unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Victory Formation (Tapwrit). One of three entered for Brad Cox, the 3-1 morning-line favorite heads to the post off a front-running tally over stablemate Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) in the Smarty Jones S. going a mile at Oaklawn Jan. 1. Drawn on the outside in post 13, Victory Formation...

The world we share with these amazing animals may be an ever-changing one, but its mysteries abide. We consider ourselves ever more knowledgeable, ever more certain, riding the slipstream of science. Yet how much do we truly know, when Afternoon Deelites holds out for all those years and then waits just six days before following his owner to whatever shore may (or may not) lie beyond the horizon of life? The same journey was made this week by the trainer of Alydar. John Veitch laid the ground for the greatest...

8th-Gulfstream, $74,400, Alw (C)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 2-5, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:41.96, gd, 1 1/2 lengths. CHARGE IT (c, 4, Tapit--I'll Take Charge, by Indian Charlie), a 'TDN Rising Star' not seen since his 23-length romp in the GIII Dwyer S. at Belmont last July, was hammered into 1-5 favoritism for his return to the races Sunday. Eased out of the gate, he found himself four wide into the clubhouse turn before taking back to race fourth in the top flight. Led through the half by Laughing Boy (Distorted Humor), the...

Unveiled at Aqueduct Nov. 6, Tapit Trice (Tapit) endured a wide trip throughout and was coming on late but had to settle for third just 2 1/2 lengths off the winner. It would be the only time so far that the grey son of Tapit did not find the winner's circle as he rebounded with a narrow victory over a muddy but sealed track Dec. 17 before flying south to Gulfstream to earn his 'TDN Rising Star' nod with an eight-length romp Saturday. Racing with Lasix for the first time,...

The first reported foals sired by dual Eclipse champion and Classic winner Essential Quality (Tapit) were foaled on Jan. 21 and Jan. 25 at Castleton Lyons and Taylor Made, respectively. Arriving first, the colt is out of the mare Double Jackpot (Broken Vow), dam of Grade III winner/Group I-placed Stays in Vegas (City Zip), who hails from the family of Phipps Stable standouts Heavenly Prize, Dancing Spree, Instilled Regard, etc. "He's a big, strong leggy colt with very good bone. A lot of substance about him," said Castleton Lyons General...

8th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 1-14, 3yo, 1m, 1:39.18, ft, 1 3/4 lengths. KINGSBARNS (c, 3, Uncle Mo--Lady Tapit {GSP}, by Tapit), an $800,000 2-year-old purchase by Spendthrift Farm out of the Gulfstream Sale last year, rewarded his backers as the 3-1 favorite in his debut start. Fourth in the early going while racing a path off the rail, Kingsbarns began to inch up into the far turn and found racing room between rivals as the top trio straightened into the lane. Game Warden (Tapit) closed with a run to be second...

The first week of January doesn't have much in common with the first Saturday in May--with the exception that the inaugural TDN Top 12 has arrived to herald the coming of the seemingly far-off GI Kentucky Derby season. Get tied on and enjoy the ride. 1) ARABIAN KNIGHT (c, Uncle Mo--Borealis Night, by Astrology) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Corser Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $250,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $2,300,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $86,025. Last start: 1st Keeneland Maiden Special Weight, Nov. 5....