Leading freshman sire Tapizar tallied his first stakes winner Sept. 4 when Tip Tap Tapizar came from off the pace to score a neck victory in the $100,000 Sapling Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Tip Tap Tapizar, who had already shown stakes worthiness with placings in the Saratoga Special (G2) and Bashford Manor Stakes (G3), looked very much the best in the late stages of the Sapling as he powered by a trio of foes and was in hand as he completed the mile in 1:39.00 (VIDEO).
“I know my horse has plenty of speed,” said winning jockey Paco Lopez. “I took a hold of him early and let others go out to the front. I ran into some traffic trouble down the backside, but nothing serious. When we turned for home I angled him out and he just took off.”
Trained by Steve Asmussen for Whispering Oaks Farm, Tip Tap Tapizar is 2-1-1 in four starts and has earned $133,060. The winner, who was bred by Summer Hill Farm, sold for $175,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale.
With eight winners and progeny earnings of $434,270 to date, Tapizar ranks in the top three in both categories on the 2016 first-crop sire list.