Returning to the races off a year layoff, Tapit Trice marked his return in style, rolling home a 5 1/4-length winner over Highland Falls in the GIII Monmouth Stakes.
A beat slow out of post 8, Tapit Trice was fanned four wide heading into the first turn as Counterspy (Gun Runner) went to the front, carving out an opening quarter in :24.14. A three-wide third following a :49.15 half, the grey held a slight advantage over favored Highland Falls, who was pinned along the inside and in need of racing room. Cornering wide on the final turn, Tapit Trice spurted clear, and while the favorite did his best to rally into second, there was no catching the winner.
“When you ride for [Todd Pletcher] you don't worry about a layoff or anything else,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr. “If they bring a horse from a layoff to a stakes race it's because they are ready. I always ride them like they are ready to go. I had a good post today [post 8], so I was able to let him do his thing early. He put me there, he put himself in that position. I didn't want to take anything away from him, he just made it so easy.”
Commenting on his wide trip, Ortiz added, “I didn't mind being off the rail. We were outside and it would have been hard to drop our way to the rail. If I ended up there I wouldn't have minded but I let him do his thing.”
Trainer Todd Pletcher was equally happy with the race, and the result following a lengthy break.
“We didn't think there was a lot of pace on paper and it's the way it unfolded,” said Pletcher. “They were going a pretty comfortable pace. We had to sacrifice a little bit of ground to keep him in his rhythm and he got in a good flow and that seems to be what he does best. I was pleased with the way he was going. I thought it was an impressive off the layoff and to finish up the way he did. We're happy to see him back.”
The winner of four consecutive races at three, including the GIII Tampa Derby, the $1.3 million Keeneland September purchase thrust himself squarely into the Triple Crown picture with a victory in Keeneland's GI Blue Grass Stakes. Seventh behind Mage (Good Magic) in the GI Kentucky Derby, the grey finished an improved third in the GI Belmont Stakes before coming home seventh in Monmouth's marquee event for 3-year-olds, the GI Haskell Stakes. Starting one more time in 2023, he came home third in the GI Travers Stakes at the Spa before heading to the sidelines.
“He's a willing horse to train and he's a good work horse when you want him to be,” said Pletcher. “For him, it was probably easier to make a comeback in a race like this [1 1/8 miles] than a six-furlong race, for example.”
Pletcher added, “We're very happy. It's been a little frustrating with him. He gave him some time off after the (2023) Travers by design last year and we were hoping to get back Kentucky Derby week at Churchill but we had a little setback. That delayed everything. We're happy to get him back. He was in good form today. That was a good performance.”
Pedigree Note:
A $1.3m yearling for Whisper Hill Farm in 2021, Tapit Trice is one of 165 stakes winners for the legendary Tapit. Danzatrice, herself a multiple stakes winner purchased by Gainesway Farm as a 2-year-old at OBS April in 2014 for just $105,000 and a half to Champion 2-year-old filly Jaywalk (Cross Traffic), has produced 3 foals of racing age including her un-raced 2-year-old Aeolian, a full-sister to Tapit Trice. Danzatrice and Tapit have been crossed for four of her five foals with Tapit Trice having full-brother born this year in addition to the aforementioned 2-year-old. The 3-year-old full-sister named Danzit was third in her debut start at Gulfstream in April after selling for $1.1m as a yearling at Keeneland in 2022. Danzatrice was bred to both Not This Time and Tapit for the 2025 season.
TAPIT TRICE IS BACK, FOLKS!!!
The son of Tapit for @PletcherRacing with @iradortiz aboard travels wide, looms up on the turn and puts away the Monmouth Cup Stakes field. #HorseRacing pic.twitter.com/Nt3I367mo4
— NYRA Bets (@NYRABets) July 20, 2024
Saturday, Monmouth
MONMOUTH CUP S.-GIII, $404,000, Monmouth, 7-20, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:50.46, ft.
1–TAPIT TRICE, 118, c, 4, by Tapit
1st Dam: Danzatrice (MSW & GSP, $312,145),
by Dunkirk
2nd Dam: Lady Pewitt, by Orientate
3rd Dam: Spin Room, by Spinning World
'TDN Rising Star'. ($1,300,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Whisper Hill
Farm, LLC and Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Gainesway
Thoroughbreds LTD. (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$240,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 10-5-0-3, $1,453,650.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Highland Falls, 124, c, 4, Curlin–Round Pond, by Awesome
Again. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $80,000.
3–Counterspy, 118, g, 4, Gun Runner–Simplify, by Pulpit.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($150,000 Ylg '21
KEESEP; $47,000 3yo '23 KEENOV). O-Jack J. Armstrong;
B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Robert Mosco. $40,000.
Margins: 5 1/4, 3/4, 3. Odds: 2.80, 0.70, 20.40.
Also Ran: Khozeiress, Kuchar, Far Mo Power, Surface to Air, Stage Raider.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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