Tapit at it again for Gainesway
In 2014, led by the superlative year of Untapable, the then 13-year-old Gainesway stallion, Tapit broke through and won his first title as America’s leading sire. His offspring collected $16,813,536 on the track last year, easily eclipsing the second-place sire on the list, Giant’s Causeway by better than $4 million. After a huge first half of April, it looks like Tapit, is at it, again.
In a span eight days, the son of Pulpit took an early stranglehold of this year’s leading sire list, by seeing his sons and daughter win four graded stakes, all in impressive fashion. Less than four months into 2015, Tapit is quickly closing in on the $6 million mark, and is nearly $2 million ahead of his nearest competition, Candy Ride.
On Saturday, April 4, Frosted lived up to his much suspected potential by winning New York’s premier Derby prep in decisive fashion. After a pair of somewhat disappointing losses in Florida, the Kiaran McLaughlin gray put it all together in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, and in the process, re-established himself as a serious contender for the 2015 Kentucky Derby.
On Friday, April 10, Tapit’s champion filly, Untapable scored a statement victory in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park. After an unexpected runner-up finish in her seasonal debut, the Eclipse Award winner demonstrated that she is back, and will be a force to be reckoned with as an older horse.
On Saturday, April 11, Race Day continued his quick ascent up the handicap ranks with his most important win to date. His victory in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap was not only impressive, it was fast. Race Day’s final time of 1:47.93 for nine furlongs was .59 seconds faster than the big win by American Pharoah in the Arkansas Derby a few races later in the card.
And finally, also on Saturday, April 11, Divining Rod announced himself as a three-year-old to watch post-Kentucky Derby with an authoritative win in the Grade 3 Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. The product of the mating of a pair of Grade 1 winners, the Lael Stable runner looks destined to add more graded stakes victories after yesterday’s performance.