TAPIT’s regally bred daughter Graceful Princess became his newest stakes winner on Saturday when the 5-year-old Whisper Hill Farm homebred won the Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3).
Racing over 1 1/16 miles at Monmouth Park from the widest post, Graceful Princess raced wide a few lengths behind fellow TAPIT runner Mrs. Danvers from the gate. Racing down the backstretch, Graceful Princess was in midpack but Joel Rosario asked her to pick up the pace and she quickly moved forward to start her challenge for the lead in the turn.
The mare had to dig deep in the stretch when the leaders got away from her but the target proved to be just what she needed to find another gear. Rosario timed the move perfectly, getting his mount in front in the final sixteenth and piloting her to a three quarter length win in the end.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, the daughter of Horse of the Year Havre de Grace had earned a Grade 3 placing in her third stakes attempt earlier this year in the Baird Doubledogdare Stakes (G3). The Molly Pitcher winner now has three wins and three other on-the-board finishes for $261,474 in earnings.
Graceful Princess wins the G3 Molly Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth pic.twitter.com/AhjypWJ9RO
— Daily Racing Form (@DRFInsidePost) July 17, 2021
She is one of three runners for her legendary dam by TAPIT with her half-sister Heavenly Grace also a winner and her 3-year-old full sister Perfect Grace second in both her career starts. In all, Havre de Grace has three winners from four runners.
Havre de Grace is a granddaughter of the great broodmare Toll Fee, who is also the granddam of three-time Grade 1 winner Riskaverse and TAPIT’s own four-time Grade 1 winner Tonalist. A few of the other stakes winners under Toll Fee’s name include Grade 1 winner Fog Of War and Grade 3 winners Say, Bouquet Booth, and Cozzy Corner.
Havre de Grace also has a two-year-old by TAPIT named Saint Tapit.
Graceful Princess is one of 146 stakes winners and 91 graded stakes winners for TAPIT, who made history this year as the first sire in over 100 years to sire four Belmont Stakes (G1) winners.