Tapit has emerged as one of the most influential and breed-shaping stallions of the past half-century.
Tapit, who has spent three consecutive record-setting years atop the nation’s leading sire list, is laying the groundwork for a fourth. On Jan. 7 at Gulfstream Park a pair of newly minted homebred 3-year-old fillies won back-to-back races, giving Gainesway’s gray promising boosts to his chances.
Gainesway’s flagship stallion Tapit is on his way to a third consecutive North American leading sire title and has once again set a single-season earnings record. Propelled by the worldwide success of his progeny during Thanksgiving holiday racing, Tapit bankrolled his 2016 earnings to more than $19.2 million.
Foggy Night, the first foal out of Grade 1 winner Champagne d’Oro who had sold for $1.87 million as a yearling, was victorious on his racetrack debut Nov. 12 at Tokyo Racecourse.
Gainesway announced its 2017 stud fees Nov. 10, with leading sire Tapit again headlining the roster and standing for an industry-leading fee of $300,000.
In-foal mares topped buyers’ shopping lists and, as expected, the sales sheets. Through the first two days of Book 1, the current sale-topper is Unrivaled Belle, who sold in foal to Gainesway’s leading sire Tapit.
When the dollars stopped flying at the Nov. 7 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November breeding stock sale, which saw gross, average, and median climb well beyond last year’s figures, a mare in foal to leading sire Tapit topped the auction.
Gainesway’s two-time champion sire Tapit took another giant step toward a third consecutive leading sire title Oct. 15 when 3-year-old filly Time and Motion became his 21st worldwide Grade 1 winner in the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.
Live Oak Plantation’s 2-year-old Tapit colt Golden Hawk went wire to wire in the Oct. 9 Grey Stakes (G3) over Woodbine’s Tapeta surface and posted a 5¼-length victory.
Gainesway has every reason to be doubly proud of Anchor Down’s gate-to-wire victory in the $350,000 Kelso Handicap (G2) Oct. 8 at Belmont Park. Gainesway not only stands the winner’s sire, Tapit, but also bred the 5-year-old gray.
Adding to the mystique of Gainesway’s champion sire Tapit is one of his defining physical characteristics: his striking gray coat. But does the color of Tapit’s foals make them any more or less likely to become elite racehorses?