Tapit

by Brian DiDonato, Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY--A Tapit filly out of GISW Embellish the Lace (Super Saver) topped the opening session of Keeneland's September yearling sale on a $1.25-million bid by Claiborne Farm's Bernie Sams. The bay was consigned to the auction as hip 149 by Bluewater Sales LLC, Agent XVI, on behalf of breeder China Horse Club. While stringent COVID-19 protocols put in place to allow the world's largest yearling sale to be held at all may have dulled some of the electricity typically felt in...

   A Tapit filly out of the 2015 GI Alabama S. heroine Embellish the Lace (Super Saver) caught the attention of a number of high-end buyers, and was ultimately landed Sunday by Claiborne Farm's Bernie Sams, who was bidding on behalf of an undisclosed client of the storied nursery. The bay was consigned to the sale by Bluewater Sales as hip 149 and offered on behalf of her breeder, China Horse Club.     "He's bought a couple mares and he bought a nice yearling filly last year," Sams said...

Essential Quality (Tapit) overcame some mid-stretch traffic trouble and shot away from his rivals to easily capture Saturday's fourth race at Churchill Downs and earn 'TDN Rising Star' status in the process. Bet into 19-10 favoritism in what appeared to be a strong race on paper, the Godolphin homebred broke without incident and settled in about sixth position down the backstretch racing in about the four path. Sent along to split horses at the 2 1/2-furlong pole, he was full of run, but was forced to steady sharply while short...

Three of Ashford Stud's Grade I-winning stallions will be in the limelight in the coming weeks as they are represented by their first crop of yearlings in the sales ring. Three-time GIW Practical Joke (Into Mischief), the regally-bred Cupid (Tapit) and juvenile champion Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) all ranked amongst the top of their class with the sale of their weanlings, and now look to continue the streak with their yearlings. We sat down with Coolmore's Adrian Wallace and discussed two of the young sires. [tdn_vimeo_embed title="Cupid and Classic...

Michael Hernon, who served as Gainesway Farm's Director of Sales for the past 24 years, has launched his own bloodstock agency, Michael Hernon Bloodstock LLC. Starting in the mid-1990s, Hernon managed the stallion books of sires including Broad Brush, Cozzene and Mt. Livermore. More recently, he oversaw the books of leading sires Tapit and Empire Maker, as well as the emerging young sire Karakontie (Jpn). "Two decades of selling at the highest level of the stallion market was a rare experience, but as Gainesway expanded their bloodstock sales agency, I...

'TDN Rising Star' Thoughtfully (Tapit) continued a red-hot run with juveniles for trainer Steve Asmussen as she powered away a convincing winner of the GII Adirondack S. Wednesday at the Spa. Off since airing by 8 3/4 lengths at odds-on first out at Churchill June 11, the $950,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase prepped for this by firing a five-furlong bullet in 1:00.91 over the strip Aug. 3 in company with unraced colt Calibrate (Distorted Humor) (XBTV Video). Pounded down to 4-5 from a 2-1 morning line quote, the dark bay tucked...

'TDN Rising Star' Thoughtfully (Tapit) looks to prove her 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy unveiling was no fluke in Wednesday's GII Adirondack S. at Saratoga. The $950,000 FTSAUG purchase romped by 8 3/4 lengths on debut at Churchill Downs June 11 and enters off a best-of-14 five-panel bullet at the Spa in 1:00 4/5 Aug. 3. Make Mischief (Into Mischief)  won on debut against fellow Empire-breds June 18 at Belmont and was second last out in this venue's GIII Schuylerville S. July 16. She is favored on the morning-line to make amends...

2nd-Saratoga, $72,000, Msw, 8-9, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:44.94, fm. SEASONS (f, 2, Tapit--Winter Memories {MGISW, $1,268,100}, by El Prado {Ire}) got the job done in her much-anticipated first start Sunday, but not without plenty of drama. The regally bred filly showed a very upbeat worktab leading up to this unveiling, punctuated by a :48.79 bullet over the Oklahoma turf Aug. 3 (XBTV Video), and was backed down to 4-5 from an already telling 9-5 morning line prediction. Away in good order, the chestnut took up a stalking spot along...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-SAR, $72K, Msw, 2yo, f, 5 1/2fT, post time: 4:04 p.m. ET Live Oak homebred TAPPINGINTOSUCCESS (Tapit) makes her first start for trainer Mike Trombetta. Out of multiple graded placed Slewfoundmoney (Seeking the Gold), the filly is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winning millionaire Awesome Slew (Awesome Again), as well as to graded placed Souper Lucky (Giant's Causeway) and stakes winner He's Bankable (Arch). Leia Marie (Exaggerator) was the highest-priced filly from her Classic-winning sire's first crop when she sold for $400,000 at last...

Vanishing Point (Tapit), a full-brother to two-time Eclipse Award and three-time Grade I winner Unique Bella, was very green, but very good in his racecourse debut Sunday afternoon at Sapporo Racecourse, leading every step of the way en route to a seven-length tally. The mount of perennial leading jockey Christophe Lemaire, the son of GI Breeders' Cup Ladies' Distaff heroine Unrivaled Belle (Unbridled's Song) jumped alertly from the widest gate in the field of seven and was switching back and forth across his leads while establishing the front passing under...

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 Niigata and Sapporo Racecourses, including the racecourse debut of a well-related son of Tapit: Saturday, August 2, 2020 7th-NII, ¥14,360,000 ($137k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1800m NILE RIVER (c, 3, American Pharoah--Jeweliana, by Smart Strike), a $235K Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling turned $775K...

An intentional breeder is a student of their broodmares, diligently studying each mating and the resulting offspring while adjusting and making inferences at every corner. Over the past seven years, the Don Alberto Corporation has meticulously analyzed each foal produced on their growing Kentucky-based farm and has endeavored to make each mating more successful that the last as they continue to learn from their elite broodmare band. "The engine has started working," Don Alberto's Executive Director Fabricio Buffolo said. "We know the mares and know more about how they are...