It’s another Grade 1 winning TAPIT son for the Godolphin program after Proxy became his sire’s 30th Grade 1 winner in the Clark Stakes (G1) on Friday evening at Churchill Downs.
Last seen in July when third on the track in the Stephen Foster (G2), Proxy tracked the pacesetting West Will Power around the 1 1/8 mile distance of the Clark, not making his big move until the sixteenth pole. At that point, West Will Power could no longer hold off the TAPIT 4-year-old, and Proxy soon had the lead to win by three quarters of a length.
A homebred for Godolphin, Proxy joins dual champion Essential Quality and multiple Grade 1 winner Frosted as TAPIT sons to win Grade 1s for the organization.
Proxy has been a consistent face on the graded stakes scene since his 3-year-old season when he finished second in a pair of Kentucky Derby (G1) prep races. He has also been consistently in the top three in graded stakes this year and was scoring his first stakes victory in this spot.
PROXY ($7.08) and jockey @JRosarioJockey stalk the pace and put pressure on West Will Power to wear him down in the stretch to take the $750K Clark (GI).
Congrats to @Stidhamracing & @godolphin #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/FwOsZxZvzD
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) November 25, 2022
“I was a little shocked he showed as much speed as he did,” trainer Michael Stidham said. “It’s very special for him to get his first graded stakes win as a Grade 1 … I was confident he’d have enough left in the stretch by his pedigree. He’s bred to go a mile-and-a-quarter.”
As for the future for Proxy, a trip to Dubai may be in the cards though there are plenty of other options for him domestically as well.
“There are a lot of options now going forward,” Stidham continued. “I’d love to get back to the Dubai World Cup (GI) but going into 2023 there’s a lot still on the table after a win like today.”
Proxy is out of the Grade 1 winning Panty Raid, who also produced Grade 2 winner Micheline. Panty Raid is a full sister to Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 placed St John’s River and stakes winner Franc out of stakes placed Adventurous Di.
Proxy is one of three Grade 1 winners in 2022 for TAPIT, the fourth best of any North American sire this year. Proxy is also the 157th stakes winner and 98th graded stakes winner for his sire as well.