Tapit Colt Shines at OBS

Tapit’s standout year on the racetrack extended to the sales ring Tuesday at OBS when Jim Martin, bidding on behalf of Mike Repole, saw off a determined Tom Ryan to secure a colt by the Gainesway stallion for a sale-topping $725,000. 
“I sat here for two days waiting for that one,” Martin laughed after signing the ticket on hip 514. “He’ll go to Jim Crupi and get 90 days off and then we’ll bring him back to the races.” 
    The bay colt, who worked a furlong in :10 1/5 last week, is out of stakes winner and multiple graded stakes-placed Ready for Fortune (More Than Ready). 
    Asked what he liked about the juvenile, Martin reeled off, “Conformation, Tapit, he’s a May foal and his mother was a stakes winner.” 
    The colt was consigned to the sale by Nick de Meric on behalf of a “small partnership” which included breeder Hargus and Sandra Sexton, according to de Meric. 
    “Besides his sire, which of course everyone likes, we loved his balance and his athleticism,” de Meric commented. “He held up under the scrutiny very well and, to his credit, he handled the sales process with real aplomb. He’s a beautifully balanced, athletic colt and we foresee a bright future for him.” 
    Of the sale-topping final price tag, de Meric said, “We knew he was capable of doing that, but we didn’t dare hope that he would. We were silently hoping, but not expecting.” 
    The colt RNA’d for $130,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale.