TAPIT’S Congruent Joins Derby Trail in John Battaglia

On a Saturday that saw three TAPIT runners hit the board in stakes, Congruent was the biggest winner of the day with a win in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes to join the Kentucky Derby trail.

With last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) winning jockey Sonny Leon aboard, Congruent raced in last early for the early par of the 1 1/16 mile race. He left himself plenty to do as the field turned into the stretch but caught the eye when rushing up on the outside of the field. The TAPIT son flew by everyone and kept right on going to win by 3 ½ lengths and earn 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

The experienced Congruent has finished in the top three in five of nine races and was recording his second stakes victory in the Turfway race. Representing Tami Bobo and Lugamo Racing Stable on the track, the Antonio Sano trainee was bred by the Tapit Syndicate and Glencrest Farm. The colt’s 20 points sits him in 12th on the Road to the Kentucky Derby board.

Congruent is a half-brother to stakes winner Oceans Map out of the Grade II winner Part The Seas. The family also includes Canadian champion Portcullis and U.S. champion She Be Wild in addition to Grade 1 winner Carson Hollow.

TAPIT is the sire of eight stakes performers in 2023 with the group including Saturday’s Santa Anita Handicap (G1) runner-up Proxy and Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) second Charge It. TAPIT’s success as a broodmare sire was also on full display as the broodmare sire of three stakes performers, including the winner of the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2).