The Return of Tapitsfly
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Sheeeee’s Back. Remember that great looking grey filly who doggedly chased down the talented Rose Catherine, proving best in a full field of twelve in the 2009 Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf? It’s been a while, but sure you do.
Tapitsfly looked like a filly on the verge of stardom. She had tactical speed, could handle two turns, was a threat on turf or dirt, and improved with every juvenile start. Unfortunately, waiting for her return has been an exercise in patience. Besieged with more setbacks than the acting career of Robert Downey Jr., the daughter of Tapit has finally broke on through to the other side. After spending her entire three-year-old season on the sideline, the Dale Romans trained filly is entered to make her long-awaited return in an allowance race, Wednesday at Gulfstream Park.
A homebred for Frank Jones Jr., Tapitsfly scored the impressive half-length victory in the million dollar turf event back on November 6, 2009 at Santa Anita. Meaning Wednesday’s comeback will be one week more than 14 months after her big win. Way back when, she won three of seven starts as a two-year-old, including three wins and a second in her last four starts. She won stakes races in both of her two turf tries. Since the Breeders' Cup, Tapitsfly had a chip removed from an ankle early in 2010 and then every time she got close to returning, additional issues reared their ugly head that forced her conditioner to back off on her training.
Tapitsfly will have her work cut out for her on Wednesday. She will break from the six hole in a solid field of twelve turf fillies. Grade one winner Miss World and the Mark Casse trained Barracks Road figure to be the most supported of her rivals. Jockey Julien Leparoux will be in the irons for the first time in the one mile turf event, replacing Robby Albarado who rode her in all of her victories in 2009. Most horses struggle to regain their best after such a long layoff, but some can come back as good or better than ever. If the latter rings true for Tapitsfly, we surely can expect big things from the talented filly.
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