TAPIT son Tyson became his sire’s latest champion this week when he was named 2023 Champion Older Main Track Male at the Sovereign Awards.
The horse started his season with a win in an Allowance Optional Claiming race by 3 ½ lengths before making his stakes debut. Finishing third in the Eclipse Stakes (G2) in that start, he followed that up with graded stakes wins in the Dominion Day Stakes (G3) and Seagram Cup Stakes (G2).
Shipped to New York by trainer Josie Carroll for his Grade 1 debut, he registered a third place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).
Owned by breeders Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings and Stretch Run Ventures, Tyson ended 2023 with a record of three wins and two other top three finishes in seven starts for $319,967 in earnings.
“It’s one of our best pedigrees, one that we’ve cultivated for more than 30 years,” Hill ‘n’ Dale’s John Sikura said after his Seagram Cup victory. “I have great admiration for Mike Tyson, and I thought this is a special horse, so I wanted to name him Tyson. Wonderful horse, beautifully bred and I want to thank everyone at the farm for the great job they’ve done, and Josie, for being a magnificent trainer and holding this horse together and getting him on the right track. It looks like he’s going to be a champion. I love Canada and I love Woodbine. It’s great to be here, particularly when you win.”
Tyson is out of the winning mare Honouring, a full sister to Grade 1 winner Streaming and stakes winner Treasuring and half-sister to stakes winner Cascading. Honouring is also a full sister to TAPIT daughter Modeling, the dam of last year’s Eclipse Champion 3-Year-Old Colt Arcangelo.
Tyson’s third dam is bluehen broodmare Better Than Honour, whose runners include Belmont Stakes (G1) winners Jazil and Rags to Riches.
TAPIT is also the grandsire of Champion Older Main Track Male runner-up Treasure and Champion 2-Year-Old Female runner-up Tripolina.