It was a Belmont Park stakes double for TAPIT on Saturday when Tap to Open followed up Stimulate’s Dwyer romp with a 3 ¼ length Mother Goose S. (G2) victory.
Fourth in a Grade 1 last out, the Whisper Hill Farm homebred broke out of the same three-hole as Stimulate in the 1 1/16-mile race and raced similarly to that runners. Soon after the break, she settled behind the leaders in a rail position down the backstretch while waiting for her time to strike.
In the turn, she raced right behind the leader and waited for an opening before moving to the outside of the horse in front of her and angling through a hole. Tap To Open quickly challenged for the lead in the stretch and soon after pulled away.
Manny Franco didn’t ask his mount for much as Tap to Open easily held off the others with just Answered Prayers finishing withing five lengths of her.
TAP TO OPEN, who RNA'd as a yearling for $1.45 million, is now a graded stakes winner with her victory in the G2 Mother Goose at @BelmontPark1905 for trainer @bradcoxracing and owner/breeder @whisper_hill with @jockeyfranco aboard! pic.twitter.com/J2wUgwwljl
— Equibase (@Equibase) November 7, 2026
A $1.45 million yearling RNA, the Brad Cox trainee has now won four of her eight starts with two other top three finishes for $500,343 in earnings. Tap to Open’s first stakes victory came two starts ago in the Cathryn Sophia.
Tap to Open is one of two graded stakes winners for I’ll Take Charge alongside Gainesway sire CHARGE IT. I’ll Take Charge is one of eight winners from nine to race out of the Grade 1 winner and great broodmare Take Charge Lady, who also produced champion Will Take Charge and Grade 1 winners As Time Goes By and Take Charge Indy.
Take Charge daughters and granddaughters have also produced horses such as champion Take Charge Brandi, three-time Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach, and TAPIT’s stakes winning trio of Courvoisier, Tapit Jenallie, and Will Take It.
This is the 109th worldwide graded stakes winner for TAPIT, who has also sired 349 stakes performers.