Tap To It Eyes Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
{{monthName}} {{day}}, {{year}} {{hour12}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}{{dayPeriod}}
Photo:
NYRA Photo
Whisper Hill Farm's Tap to It emerged from her runner-up effort in Saturday's Grade 1 Spinaway in good shape, according to trainer Ralph Nicks.
"She's good, a little tired today, but good," Nicks reported Sunday morning. "She ran well. She's a very, very nice horse."
The 2-year-old Tapit filly had trailed the field of six early and launched a strong rally in the stretch, running the fastest final quarter-mile of the sextet in 24.93 seconds to get within a length of the ever-more-famous Rachel's Valentina in her first try in stakes company.
A $400,000 yearling purchase, Tap to It dazzled in her debut at Saratoga on August 16, overcoming traffic trouble to register a two-length maiden win. Impressed with both of her races so far, Nicks expects his filly to revel in the added distance of juvenile stakes going forward, namely the 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies this fall.
"We'll probably go straight to the Breeders' Cup," Nicks said. "She hasn't run much and now she's done an awful lot in a short amount of time."
Earlier in Saturday's card, Nicks saddled first-time starter Pirellone for an impressive performance in his own right. Owned by Paul Saylor's PHS Racing, the Florida-bred Gio Ponti colt had the advantage in the stretch before getting edged by even-money favorite Greenpointcrusader at the wire.
"I was more impressed with his race than his training, actually," said Nicks. "He's got a light worktab. If the meet were two or three weeks longer, I probably would've rather ran him then. But I thought he was pretty close to ready and the owner was up for the meet, so we wanted to run him while he was here."
Longtime assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott before striking out on his own in 2004, the Florida-based Nicks will keep a small contingent of runners at Belmont Park for the first time this fall, including several of his Saratoga starters.
"We're taking some down this year, we've reloaded the stock," he said. "We'll start with nine stalls and hopefully get more later."
"She's good, a little tired today, but good," Nicks reported Sunday morning. "She ran well. She's a very, very nice horse."
The 2-year-old Tapit filly had trailed the field of six early and launched a strong rally in the stretch, running the fastest final quarter-mile of the sextet in 24.93 seconds to get within a length of the ever-more-famous Rachel's Valentina in her first try in stakes company.
A $400,000 yearling purchase, Tap to It dazzled in her debut at Saratoga on August 16, overcoming traffic trouble to register a two-length maiden win. Impressed with both of her races so far, Nicks expects his filly to revel in the added distance of juvenile stakes going forward, namely the 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies this fall.
"We'll probably go straight to the Breeders' Cup," Nicks said. "She hasn't run much and now she's done an awful lot in a short amount of time."
Earlier in Saturday's card, Nicks saddled first-time starter Pirellone for an impressive performance in his own right. Owned by Paul Saylor's PHS Racing, the Florida-bred Gio Ponti colt had the advantage in the stretch before getting edged by even-money favorite Greenpointcrusader at the wire.
"I was more impressed with his race than his training, actually," said Nicks. "He's got a light worktab. If the meet were two or three weeks longer, I probably would've rather ran him then. But I thought he was pretty close to ready and the owner was up for the meet, so we wanted to run him while he was here."
Longtime assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott before striking out on his own in 2004, the Florida-based Nicks will keep a small contingent of runners at Belmont Park for the first time this fall, including several of his Saratoga starters.
"We're taking some down this year, we've reloaded the stock," he said. "We'll start with nine stalls and hopefully get more later."
Source: NYRA Communications
Read More
Looking at Tampa Bay Downs jockey statistics from the 2024 meet, clear leaders emerge ahead of the 2025...
Shred the Gnar 's impressive win in the Grade 3 Chilukki at Churchill Downs on Saturday earned a...
Oregon's advance deposit wagering market showed renewed strength in the third quarter of 2025, with total handle rising...
Fair Grounds will launch a new 20-cent minimum Pick 6 wager, the Crescent City 6, when the track...
Santa Anita opens its 48-day Classic Meet on Friday, Dec. 26, with six graded stakes on the card....