It’s another big year for Gainesway stallions at the Breeders’ Cup with TAPIT and KARAKONTIE teaming up with runners in the Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita.
Their first of the meet comes in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) when Esprit Enchante looks to become TAPIT’s second winner in the race.
If she wins the race, she’ll be TAPIT’s fifth juvenile race winner with his dual champion Essential Quality the last TAPIT to visit the winner’s circle in a juvenile Breeders’ Cup race with his victory in the 2020 edition.
Esprit Enchante comes into the Juvenile Fillies off a Santa Anita Park victory last out in her second start. While she is the only TAPIT daughter entered in this race, he is also the damsire of Scalable, Where’s My Ring, and Omaha Girl.
The undefeated She Feels Pretty became 2014 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner KARAKONTIE’s newest Grade 1 winner in September’s Natalma Stakes (G1) to earn a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Friday she also looks to become his first Breeders’ Cup winner as well.
#11 SHE FEELS PRETTY ($18) delivers trainer Cherie DeVaux her first grade 1 in the $500,000 Natalma Stakes (G1). An impressive performance from this daughter of @Gainesway stallion Karakontie. The filly has punched her ticket to the @BreedersCup Juvenile Fillies Turf! pic.twitter.com/3j684nJVyL
— TVG (@TVG) September 16, 2023
When she lines up in the gate, KARAKONTIE will have seen two of his runners in the Breeders’ Cup with his other starter also running in this race. It’s been a big few months for KARAKONTIE, whose juvenile son King Kontie won a stakes just a few weeks after She Feels Pretty’s victory. His multiple graded stakes winning daughter Princess Grace continued finding success in Australia as well with a second in the Memsie Stakes (G1) in early September.
TAPIT’s Charge It kicks off the races on Saturday when he makes a start in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) – a race TAPIT sired the winner of in 2012.
CHARGE IT wins the G2 Suburban Stakes by almost five lengths with @ljlmvel aboard for @PletcherRacing! #BelmontPark pic.twitter.com/mpl6HAPuwV
— NYRA (🗽) (@TheNYRA) July 8, 2023
The Whisper Hill Farm homebred was impressive winning this year’s Suburban Stakes (G2) by 4 ¾ lengths. Charge It has proven to love the one-mile distance in the past, winning the Dwyer Stakes (G3) by 23 lengths.
The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile is another where a TAPIT daughter is represented by a runner. Last year’s winner of the race, Cody’s Wish, is out of TAPIT’s Grade 1 winning daughter Dance Card. Dance Card ended her own racing career at Santa Anita when she finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
There was no stopping TAPIT son Flightline last year in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) when he romped to an 8 ¼ length victory in the race and this year, Proxy looks to give his sire back-to-back Classic wins.
HE GOT THERE!
#4 PROXY (@gainesway Tapit) wins the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for @godolphin under @JRosarioJockey. Check out the @JockeyCam and drone cam in this thriller! #2 Last Samurai second, #3 Stilleto Boy third; no change after an inquiry. pic.twitter.com/O43EUgilZJ
— TVG (@TVG) April 22, 2023
Proxy is the winner of two graded stakes in 2023 and ended last year with a Grade 1 victory in the Clark Stakes (G1). In his final prep for this race, Proxy was beaten by just a nose in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), his 11th graded stakes race on-the-board finish.
TAPIT has close connections to multiple horses in this race.
He is also the damsire of Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner Saudi Crown and that race’s runner up Dreamlike. Former Gainesway stallion AFLEET ALEX is also represented in the Classic as a damsire thanks to his daughter’s multiple graded stakes winning son Clapton.
Quickly rising to the top as a broodmare sire just like he did as a sire, TAPIT sees runners out of his daughters entered in four other races.
In the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), he is the damsire of both Pretty Mischievous and Hoosier Philly. They are joined by TAPIT granddaughter Desert Dawn, who is by his son Cupid.
Bred on the prolific Gun Runner x TAPIT cross, Grade 1 winner Society is entered in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1).
In the second-to-last Breeders’ Cup race of the weekend, TAPIT is the damsire of both Gear Jockey and Arzak in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). Son Frosted is the sire of that race’s runner Jasper Krone and Trappe Shot is the sire of the also-eligible One Timer.
TAPIT daughter Tacit Approval sees her Grade 2-winning son Hoist The Gold enter the gate in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) to close out the weekend.