It was another million-dollar sale horse for the legendary TAPIT at the OBS Spring 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale this week when Gayle Van Leer signed for the session-topping $1-million colt.
“He reminded me an awful lot of Sandman, who I fell in love with and he’s my Derby horse,” Van Leer said. “He is just a smooth-moving horse and he just caught my eye immediately during the under-tack show.”
Offered by Top Line Sales out of multiple Grade 1-placed Palacio de Amor, the colt bred by Newtownanner Stud Farm had sold for $300,000 as a yearling at Keeneland before coming here. He breezed in :10.0 during the Under Tack Show before heading through the ring as a full brother to TAPIT’s stakes-placed Play Love and half-brother to two stakes winners.
The leader of that group is the stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed Threefiveindia with multiple stakes winner Hero’s Amor also producing the stakes winner and graded stakes placed Apprehend.
We have out first 7-figure baby of #OBSApril! Hip 249, a son a Tapit consigned by @TopLineTBs, sells for $1M to Gayle Van Leer, agent. pic.twitter.com/iCO3G4LwL7
— OBSSales (@OBSSales) April 15, 2025
This family has proven generation after generation that it can produce stakes horses with Palacio de Amor an eighth-generation stakes performer.
“I love Tapits,” Luis Gavignano said of buying the colt as a yearling before consigning him with Top Line. “That’s one of my favorites. It is [a lot to pay for a pinhook prospect], but I don’t mind keeping horses. I knew this horse was special, so if he didn’t bring what I thought he would, I would be happy to race him.”
TAPIT saw three of his four juveniles on offer selling with the others bringing $575,000 and $490,000.