TAPIT’s Grade 1 winning son Proxy added a win in the Monmouth Cup Stakes (G3) to his record on Saturday with a 2 ½ length victory in the race.
Racing in a 1 1/8-mile dirt race, Proxy was bumped at the start but didn’t let that stop him from rushing to the lead and taking control. The 5-year-old was pressured by Calibrate down the backside after having an easy lead early with the pair getting more serious into the turn.
Calibrate put up a fight but it wasn’t enough to convince Proxy to give up the lead with the pair dueling into the final furlong. Calibrate was the one to fold and from there, Proxy pulled ahead to win by 2 ½ lengths over Whelen Springs with Calibrate fading to third, over seven lengths behind.
"PROXY is gutting it out to the inside, exuding all that class!" – @Inthegrandstand@JRosarioJockey found himself setting the pace aboard #6 PROXY ($2.80) and dominates in the (GIII) 🏆 Monmouth Cup for @godolphin and @Stidhamracing. Another graded stakes winner by Tapit. pic.twitter.com/rQLG8UHXnm
— TVG (@TVG) July 22, 2023
A homebred for Godolphin, the TAPIT son is trained by Michael Stidham and won the Clark Stakes (G1) to earn his first graded stakes last year. Proxy has been a solid figure on the stakes scene for three seasons now with 10 stakes placings in 14 starts at the level.
Saturday’s victory pushed Proxy over the $2 million mark with the six-time winner now the earner of $2,024,970 in 18 starts.
Proxy is out of the dual Grade 1 winning Panty Raid, who also produced Grade 2 winner Micheline. Pantry Raid is one of two graded stakes winners for her own stakes placed dam Adventurous Di alongside Grade 2 winner and Grade 1 placed St John’s River with the mare also producing the stakes winning Franc.
The winner of two graded stakes this year, Proxy is one of eight stakes winners and 14 stakes performers for TAPIT in 2023. That group is led by Grade 1 winner Tapit Trice.