Tapit earns another accolade

Tapit keeps finding higher bars to clear. For three consecutive years, he has broken the single-season earnings record for a North American-based sire while leading the continent’s general sire list – this, after coming out of the gate by establishing what was then an earnings record for a freshman sire. The sire of several champions and classic winners, he reached the $100 million mark in career earnings last season, doing so faster than many of his contemporaries.

The Gainesway resident now ranks among the most dominant sires in the history of the Belmont Stakes after his son Tapwrit’s victory in Saturday’s classic. He was Tapit’s third Belmont winner in four years, joining Tonalist (2014) and Creator (2016). Tapit finished second in the race the year he didn’t win with Frosted, who chased home Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. He also finished third last year with Lani.

Tapit is the only sire in the modern era to be represented by three Belmont Stakes winners – and one of just five stallions to sire three or more winners of the oldest American classic.

The great Lexington, America’s leading sire 16 times despite his stud career at Woodburn Farm being interrupted by the Civil War, holds the all-time record in the race. Lexington’s four Belmont Stakes winners came with General Duke in 1868, Kingfisher in 1870, Harry Bassett in 1871, and Duke of Magenta in 1878. Besides Tapit he’s the only other sire to win three editions of the race in four years,.

Three other stallions have sired three Belmont winners. Lexington’s contemporary Australian, shipped to safe harbor in Illinois during the Civil War, won in 1872 with Joe Daniels, 1873 with Springbok, and 1879 with Spendthrift. Fair Play sired the great Man o’ War, who won the 1920 Belmont, along with 1924 winner Mad Play and 1927 winner Chance Shot. Man o’ War himself sired three Belmont winners in American Flag in 1925, Crusader in 1926, and Triple Crown winner War Admiral in 1937.

The feats of those four stallions came when the Thoroughbred breeding industry in America was entirely different than it is today. To achieve Tapit’s mark, his runners had to compete against exponentially larger foal crops sired by a larger number of stallions, due partially to an enhanced emphasis on commercial breeding, as well as the relative ease of shipping horses in modern times. To illustrate, Man o’ War sired 381 foals throughout his entire stud career. The busiest stallion in North America last year, Uncle Mo, covered 253 mares in 2016 alone as one of 1,423 active stallions on the continent, according to The Jockey Club’s Report of Mares Bred.

Tapwrit joins exclusive club

Every year, a handful of horses are bought at auction for a seven-figure hammer price, and whether the buyer will admit it, the list of goals for the new purchase almost certainly includes winning Triple Crown races.

As uncommon as a milliondollar horse can be within a foal crop, one that goes on to win a U.S. classic has proven even harder to find. Tapwrit’s victory in the Belmont Stakes made him just the fourth horse to win a Triple Crown race after changing hands at auction for $1 million or more.

The son of Tapit sold to the high-powered trio of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, and Robert LaPenta for $1.2 million at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale. Denali Stud consigned Tapwrit as agent for breeder My Meadowview Farm.

Three of the four sevenfigure classic winners won the Belmont Stakes. Prior to Tapwrit, the most recent winner came a decade earlier, when Rags to Riches bested Curlin in the 2007 Belmont.

Rags to Riches, a daughter of A.P. Indy, sold to Demi O’Byrne on behalf of the Coolmore partnership for $1.9 million at the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale. Lane’s End consigned the champion filly, as agent, and she was bred by Stanley and Marcia Gumberg’s Skara Glen Stables. Rags to Riches and Tapwrit share a common thread in a relationship to A.P. Indy – the mare as a daughter of the Hall of Famer, and the colt as a paternal greatgrandson.

A.P. Indy was the first sevenfigure auction grad to win a U.S. classic when he prevailed over My Memoirs in the 1992 Belmont. He went on to be named Horse of the Year that season. A.P. Indy brought $2.9 million at the 1990 Keeneland July yearling sale. Bloodstock agency BBA Ireland purchased A.P. Indy as agent for Japanese owner Tomonori Tsurumaki.

Lane’s End consigned A.P. Indy as agent, and the operation was part of a partnership that bought a share of the horse after the Triple Crown season, and eventually stood him at stud.

The most expensive auction graduate to win a Triple Crown race is 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus, who commanded $4 million at the 1998 Keeneland July sale.

Fusao Sekiguchi, also from Japan, was the winning bidder on Fusaichi Pegasus, a son of Mr. Prospector who came from the consignment of Stone Farm. Arthur Hancock III, owner of Stone Farm, co-bred Fusaichi Pegasus with Stonerside Ltd.