Tapit

Vequist (Nyquist) cemented her status as the leader of what appeared to be an open division earlier in the fall with a decisive score in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 6. The dark bay finished second in her July 29 debut at Parx, but her connections clearly had plenty of faith in her after that effort, sending her to Saratoga for the GI Spinaway S. Sept. 6. She demolished the field that day, earning her diploma by 9 1/2 lengths and becoming her freshman sire's first Grade I...

Multiple stakes winner and graded placed Heartwood (Tapit--Maple Forest, by Forestry) will take up stud duties next year at Rancho San Miguel in California. He will stand the 2021 season for $2,500, live foal guarantee. The 6-year-old, who races for the partnership of Stuart Tsuimoto and David Bernsen, won the 2019 King Cotton S., as well as two other stakes races. He was second in the 2018 GIII Fall Highweight H. and third in that year's GIII Mr. Prospector S. Heartwood is expected to make two additional starts in graded...

Leave it to one of the darkest days of the year to deliver two glimmering equine efforts that could combust into shining stars for the 2021 racing season. On the cusp of the winter solstice, breakout races book-ended the Saturday Fair Grounds card. One was a smart, step-wise progression by a juvenile colt in a NW2L allowance who now has credible GI Kentucky Derby aspirations. The other was an admirably impressive comeback by a still-undefeated 3-year-old whose own chance at the 2020 Derby got derailed by injuries and untimely setbacks....

1st-Fair Grounds, $48,500, Alw, 12-19, (NW2L), 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:45.56, ft, 2 1/2 lengths. PROXY (c, 2, Tapit--Panty Raid {MGISW, $1,052,380}, by Include) missed by a neck in his off-the-turf debut at Monmouth Oct. 24 and broke through next out here Nov. 26. Hammered down to 3-5 favoritism in this four-horse affair, the Godolphin homebred seized the early advantage as he did in his graduation and was hounded by his rivals through a :24.97 first quarter. Briefly headed by Assumption (Medaglia d'Oro), the bay regained command as the half went...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Hanshin Racecourses: 2nd-HSN, ¥9,680,000 ($93k), Maiden, 2yo, 1800m AMERICAN PEACE (c, 2, Tapit--La Cloche, by Ghostzapper) is one of at least four runners by this sire entered this weekend for owner Katsumi Yoshizawa of Master Fencer (Jpn) fame...

As we approach the end of the calendar, we turn our attention to the incoming sire class of 2021. We asked several judges who their favorite incoming sire is for next year and if there are any other stallions, new or otherwise, that have caught their eye as under-the-radar picks. JOE MILLER, Kern Thoroughbreds McKinzie (Street Sense), $30,000, Gainesway  My favorite new sire is a tough decision. There are so many good choices in 2021 and I really do not want to jinx anyone, but I would have to say...

Gainesway Farm's three-time North American champion sire Tapit will be the featured stallion for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame's Foal Patrol Season 4, which will debut online at www.foalpatrol.com on Dec. 29. One of the most influential and breed-shaping stallions of the past half-century, Tapit has sired 27 Grade I winners, 31 yearlings to bring $1 million or more at auction, and earners of more than $162 million on the racetrack. He stands at historic Gainesway in Lexington, Ky., for a 2021 fee of $185,000. Foal...

MGSP Tight Ten (Tapit--Devils Humor, by Distorted Humor) will stand at Mountain Springs Farm in Pennsylvania. He will have an introductory fee of $2,500 live foal and additional mares can be bred for $2,000 each. A lifetime breeding right to Tight Ten will be awarded to breeders after booking four mares. A debut winner at Churchill as a juvenile, the Winchell homebred was second in both the 2018 GII Saratoga Special S. and GIII Iroquois S. for trainer Steve Asmussen. He retires with a record of 14-2-3-1 and earnings of...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency BROWN UNVEILS JUDDMONTE BLUEBLOOD 5th-AQU, $80K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:46p.m. Juddmonte homebred PRECIPITATE (Pioneerof the Nile) makes her career bow for trainer Chad Brown. Her dam is a half-sister to champion Close Hatches (First Defence), who is the dam of MGSW & MGISP Tacitus (Tapit); and to SW & MGISP Lockdown (First Defence). The dark bay prepped for this with a best-of-188 half-mile in :48 flat over the Belmont training track Nov. 22. Michael Trombetta unveils a half-sister to last year's GI Breeders'...

Mrs. Danvers went virtually gate to wire to earn her first stakes success with a dominant score while trying two turns for the first time in the Comely Friday at the Big A. Seizing the early advantage, the gray loped through a :24.30 opening quarter and was confronted by longshot Project Whiskey, who pressed the pacesetter and led between calls through a :48.69 half-mile. That rival burned out quickly and fell to the back as Mrs. Danvers continued strongly on the front end. The Joe Allen homebred opened up in...

With another productive weekend, which included a victory by the impressive first-time starter and "TDN Rising Star" Life Is Good at Del Mar, Into Mischief has set a new Northern Hemisphere record for most single-season earnings by a sire. According to TDN sire stats, Into Mischief's offspring have earned $19,994,815 this year. The record had been held by Tapit, whose progeny earned $19,914,317 in 2016. A win Saturday at Churchill Downs Saturday by Asar in an $85,000 maiden special weight race, moved Into Mischief into the top spot. He added...

Although she left it until late, Gran Alegria (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) displayed a scintillating turn of foot once she found running room to rush by her rivals and claim the G1 Mile Championship at Hanshin on Sunday. It was the fourth Group 1 win for the daughter of Breeders' Cup heroine Tapitsfly and she is the eighth horse-after the runner-up Indy Champ (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn})--to claim both mile events in Japan having earlier scored in the G1 Yasuda Kinen. The first filly or mare to claim the Mile...