Rinaldo Del Gallo, III
By: Rinaldo Del Gallo, III
Tapit was born in 2001. Tapit’s first crop was in 2006.
Tapit has sired a stunning number of Belmont winners—4 to be exact. ESSENTIAL QUALITY (USA) gr/r. H, 2018 {1-x} won in 2021. TAPWRIT (USA) gr/r. H, 2014 {19} won the Belmont in 2017. CREATOR (USA) gr/r. H, 2013 {2-o} won the Belmont in 2016. Two-time Jockey Gold Cup winner TONALIST (USA) b. H, 2011 {3-l} won the Belmont in 2014.
Six-time leading sire AUSTRALIAN (GB) ch. H, 1858 {11}, son of the First English Triple Crown winner West Australian of the Godolphin Arabian sire line from which Fair Play and Man O’War was to descend produced three Belmont winners. MAN O’ WAR (USA) ch. H, 1917 {4-c} himself had 3 Belmont winners. 16 times leading sire LEXINGTON (USA) b. H, 1850 {12-b} from the Byerley Turk sire line is the only other horse save for Tapit that has had four Belmont winners. So we have only two other horses that produced three Belmont winners, and Tapit and Lexington with his four.
But Tapit did not merely sire Belmont winners. He sired many horses that placed in the Belmont. Tapit’s son TACITUS (USA) gr/r. H, 2016 {8-f}, a son of the excellent running mare CLOSE HATCHES (USA) dkb/br. M, 2010 {8-f} from the Best in Show female line was second in the Belmont. (Tacitus after which the horse was named was most famous for being a Roman Historian). Like his sire, Tacitus won the Wood. Tapit’s son HOFBURG (USA) ch. H, 2015 {2-d} came in third in 2018, the year Justify won the Triple Crown. Tapits son LANI (USA) gr/r. H, 2013 {13-c}, winner of the UAE Derby, came in 3rd in the 2016 Belmont the year Tapit’s son Creator won it. In 2015, the year American Pharoah won the American Triple Crown, FROSTED (USA) gr/r. H, 2012 {16-g} was second in the Belmont. Like his father, Frosted won the Wood. Unlike his father who came in 9th, Frosted won the Pennsylvania Derby.
Tapit is also the grandsire of a Belmont winner, but it needs an asterisk. The 2020 Belmont, the big year of the COVID pandemic, the race was one mile and one eight and not its usual mile and one half. Tapit was the grandsire in the race won by TIZ THE LAW (USA) b. C, 2017 {9-e}, who was sired by Tapit’s son CONSTITUTION (USA) b. H, 2011 {8-k}.
When you look at Tapit’s race record, you would think distance would not be his progeny’s friend. Tapit started 6 times and none of his three wins was longer than 1 1/8 miles. He won a maiden special weight at Delaware Park by 7 ¾ lengths and then was entered into the Grade 3 Laurel Futurity at Laurel Park, where he won the 4 ¾ length. He was then 6th in the Florida Derby, then won the Wood Memorial beating three horses more fancied than he, then was 9th in the Kentucky Derby won by Smarty Jones (he was 3rd favorite on the board), and ended his career with a 9th place in the Pennsylvania after running as the favorite. There is nothing in this race record that could indicate his offspring would be good at the Belmont distance of 1 ½ miles.
But Tapit’s pedigree says another thing. Tapit’s sire was PULPIT (USA) b. H, 1994 {2-f} who like Tapit only ran 6 times, his win in the Blue Grass Stakes. Again, not a source for distance. But Pulpit’s sire was A.P. INDY (USA) dkb/br. H, 1989 {3-l}, and AP Indy’s sire SEATTLE SLEW (USA) dkb/br. H, 1974 {13-c}. Seattle Slew won the Belmont (and had a narrow loss at the 1 ½ mile Jockey Gold Cup at age five). Apart from Seattle Slew winning the Belmont and siring Belmont winner AP Indy, Tapit’s second sire, Seattle Slew also sired the ill fated Swale, who won the 1984 Belmont and died eight days later.
AP Indy’s damsire, SECRETARIAT (USA) ch. H, 1970 {2-s} won the Belmont 50 years ago. Many people do not know that Secretariat’s dam, SOMETHINGROYAL (USA) b. M, 1952 {2-s}, had another son FIRST FAMILY (USA) ch. H, 1962 {2-s} that was third in the 1965 Belmont won by Hail to All, Tom Rolfe in second. BUCKPASSER (USA) b. H, 1963 {1-x}, in the blood of AP Indy, won the Jockey Gold Cup when it was at 2 miles, and won the 13 furlong Lawrence Realization Stakes. Something Royal’s sire, PRINCEQUILLO (GB) b. H, 1940 {1-b} is considered by some to be the second best distance horse in American history, second only to five time 2 mile Jockey Gold Cup winner Kelso. LE FABULEUX (FR) ch. H, 1961 {13-c}, in Unbridled’s blood, won the approximately 1 ½ miles Prix du Jockey Club, often called “The French Derby.”
In fact, Seattle Slew-AP Indy-Rags to Riches is the only 3 generation set of winners of the Belmont to date.
If you look at Tapit’s damsire, UNBRIDLED (USA) b. H, 1987 {1-r}, he never won at 1 ½ miles, which is very typical of a dirt horse, but won the classic distance in the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic. And the sire of Tapit’s second dam (Nijinsky), won the mile and one-half Epsom Derby and the even longer St. Leger, and was strong in the Arc. Tapit is 5s x 3d Nijinsky. Nijinsky sired a bunch of horses capable of going 1 1/2 miles including no less than 3 winners of the 1 1/2 mile Epsom Derby–the same length as the Belmont usually run around the same time of the year–June. Suffice it to say, given his pedigree, it is not a shock that Tapit is a source of distance, even though Tapit himself showed no ability beyond 1 1/8 miles.
So how am I handicapping the 2023 Belmont Stakes? I am recommending a win, place, and show bet on the Tapit horse, TAPIT TRICE (USA) gr/r. C, 2020. While there are certainly sprinters on his dam side such as Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner ORIENTATE (USA) dkb/br. H, 1998 {16-g}, Tapit Trice’s damsire is DUNKIRK (USA) gr/r. H, 2006 {8-g}, who was a respectable second in the Belmont to Summer Bird.
Hey, perhaps this ignoring of speed figures and trip analysis and only focusing on pedigree is a bit unorthodox. But Tapit Trice isn’t a bad horse, and he was the second choice in the Kentucky Derby. He was 7th in the Kentucky Derby which is ordinarily not inspiring, but he did beat 13 horses. Perhaps I am searching for reasons, but Essential Quality pulled the Blue Grass/Belmont couple.
My recommendation for the Belmont is Tapit Trice, even money to win, place and show with an across-the-board bet.
Hit Show has Tapit as damsire and was 5th in the Kentucky Derby and 2nd in the Wood. Red Route 1 also has Tapit as a damsire and was 4th in the Preakness. Il Miracolo who last won an allowance race also has Tapit as a damsire. Arcangelo not only has Tapit as a damsire, but his third dam is Better Than Honour, the dam of Belmont winners Rag to Riches (filly) and Jazil (colt). Red Route One also has Tapit as a damsire and comes from that 8-d female family with Sir Barton blood through evening son. Prove Worthy has no Tapit, but for what it is worth, descends from the female family of Pulpit with Preach as Prove Worthy’s 3rd dam, his second dam being a full sister to Pulpit. Pulpit was Tapit’s sire.
Of course, Tapit Shoes, second in the Bath House Row stakes has Tapit as a sire. Clearly, Tapit Trice will be more fancied. But you still have to respect that Tapit blood. Tapit Shoe’s dam is Awesome Flower, who while being a multiple stakes winner is also the dam of Cyberknife, one of last year’s leading three-year-olds and a winner of over $2 million. Cyberknife is standing for $30 thousand. Il Miracolo has Tapit as a damsire. Kingsbarns was scratched and had Tapit as a damsire. Granted, Tapit is a perennial leading sire and it would not be unusual to see any race with a couple of his children or grandchildren. But I think because Tapit sired four Belmont winners to date, a feat only matched by Lexington, I think there has been an added attraction to owners to enter horses with Tapit blood. If there is a “horse for the course” perhaps there is a “sire for the race.”
But I am still going with Tapit Trice, even if a Tapit’s son Tapit’s Shoes enters the race.
