With his dominating 3¼-length victory in the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, Cupid became the 21st Grade or Group 1 winner by Gainesway’s three-time leading sire Tapit and earned a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.
A colt from the second crop of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Tapizar brought $250,000 during the May 23 session of Fasig-Tipton’s Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Gary and Mary West’s 3-year-old Tapit filly Actress made a splash, literally and figuratively, when she broke her maiden in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico May 19, her third career start.
The dream did indeed come true for the owners and connections of Always Dreaming in the 143rd Kentucky Derby. As the appropriately-named 3-year-old powered to a decisive 2¾-length triumph May 6 at Churchill Downs, it was a career-defining achievement for a colt whose preeminent classic sire line keeps finding roses.
With the final entries taken and post positions drawn for the 143rd Kentucky Derby, five contenders for the May 6 Churchill Downs classic have ties to Gainesway stallions.