A $1.2 million yearling himself, Belmont Stakes (G1) winner TAPWRIT sees his first yearling offerings go through the ring at this year’s Keeneland January Sale. One of the best bred sons of champion sire and sire-of-sires TAPIT, TAPWRIT’s classic-winning Beyer Speed Figure was the second highest of the past decade behind only American Pharoah.
Out of a Grade 1 winner in Appealing Zophie, TAPWRIT proved popular at last year’s November sales with 14 of his 18 first-crop weanlings on offer sold for nearly five-times his 2021 stud fee of $10,000. Now a new year, Keeneland January will stage seven of his first yearlings to be offered at public auction.
| Hip | Sex | Dam | Broodmare Sire | Consignor | DOB | State Foaled | Color | Barn(s) | Session |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 | Colt | Top Hat Tango | Graydar | Legacy Bloodstock, Agent XII | 2020-04-16 | Kentucky | Gray or Roan | 9 | 1 |
| 358 | Colt | Modiste | Uncle Mo | Vinery Sales, Agent XXVIII | 2020-05-12 | Kentucky | Bay | 1 | 1 |
| 618 | Colt | Everything Sweet | Bluegrass Cat | Gainesway, Agent IX | 2020-02-08 | Kentucky | Bay | 23 | 2 |
| 829 | Colt | Shimmering Tale | Wild Again | Clifton Farm LLC | 2020-01-28 | Iowa | Dark Bay or Brown | 29 | 3 |
| 891 | Colt | Vonn Nez | Storm Creek | South Point Sales Agency, Agent V | 2020-02-07 | New York | Dark Bay or Brown | 38 | 3 |
TAPWRIT‘s first offering comes 90 hips into the first day of the sale with Legacy Bloodstock’s yearling colt out of Top Hat Tango. Bred by Scott Pierce, the colt is the second foal out of a winning Graydar mare, repeating a similar cross to the Tapit x Unbridled’s Song breedings that produced champion Unique Bella and Grade 2 winner West Coast Belle. TAPIT sons bred to Unbridled’s Song granddaughters have also produced three stakes performers, including ANCHOR DOWN’S recent stakes placed Swot Analysis.
Also going through the ring on Monday is a Usquebaugh Stables-bred colt out of the young Uncle Mo filly Modiste. Offered by Vinery Sales late in the session as Hip 358, the colt is out of a granddaughter of Sweetest Smile, the dam of Grade 1 winner Graydar and two other graded stakes horses.
The second day of selling for TAPWRIT kicks off with Hip 618 from Gainesway. The C. Kidder, N. Cole, B. Kidder, and E. Voute-bred is out of a Bluegrass Cat half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Fantastic Style. Storm Cat granddaughters have crossed exceptionally with TAPIT sons in recent years with U.S. Champion 2-Year-Old Filly British Idiom and Grade 1 winner Breakpoint and Alaskan Queen all bred on the cross in addition to six other stakes winners. Overall, the cross has 21 stakes horses overall.
The first of two TAPWRIT fillies on offer sells as Hip 778 from the Gainesway consignment out of the Smart Strike mare Party Smart. That mare is a half-sister to two graded stakes winners and a granddaughter of stakes winner and top broodmare Adorned. Bred by Gainesway and Bridlewood Farm, the filly out of Party Smart is bred on the same Tapit son x Smart Strike daughter cross as two stakes winners and six stakes horses.
A half-brother to two stakes horses, a January-born TAPWRIT colt goes through the ring early on Day 3 as Hip 829. Foaled in Iowa by consignor Clifton Farm, the colt is out of stakes-placed Shimmering Tale, who has produced 100% winners to runners, including stakes placers Shimmering Dream and My Daughter’s Song. The colt is backed by plenty of blacktype with stakes horses under each of his first five dams.
A little over 60 hips later sees the second-to-last TAPWRIT through the ring with Hip 891 from South Point Sales Agency. Bred by Windylea Farm – New York, he is out of a 100% winners to runners producer named Vonn Nez, whose credentials also include four wins on the track herself. That mare is also a full sister to multiple stakes winner and Grade 1-placed La Nez. La Nez has a Grade 3 winning daughter out of TAPIT, making this colt closely related to a graded stakes winner. He is another bred on that spectacular Tapit son out of a Storm Cat granddaughter cross, just like Hip 618.
TAPWRIT’s last yearling through the ring comes in the middle of the final session with Hip 1425. The gray filly consigned by Lane’s End was bred by Waymore LLC and is a half-sister to stakes winner Creative Thinking and stakes placed El Buen Consejo. The filly is also a granddaughter of Group 2 winner and classic placed Maiden Tower, who has produced two of her own stakes runners. Out of the Street Cry mare Hat Box, the filly is bred on the same Tapit son cross as nine winners from 12 runners while TAPIT himself has sired Grade 2 winner Lake Avenue from a Street Cry mare.