Tapwrit Entering Stud at Gainesway
By Eric Mitchell BloodHorse
Classic winner and and millionaire Tapwrit has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Gainesway for a $12,500 stud fee in 2019, the farm announced Oct. 1.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, the gray son of three-time leading sire Tapit captured Gulfstream Park‘s one-mile Pulpit Stakes as a 2-year-old. At 3, he set a new stakes record in the 1 1/16-mile Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2), winning by 4 1/2 lengths in 1:42.36. He then followed a troubled sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) with a two-length score in the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1). Tapwrit’s 103 Beyer Speed Figure is the second-highest figure for a Belmont winner in the last decade, behind only American Pharoah ‘s 105.
Tapwrit was a $1.2 million yearling purchase by Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Robert V. LaPenta from Denali Stud’s consignment to the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. He is out of Spinaway Stakes (G1) winner and multiple graded-stakes producer Appealing Zophie, who is also the dam of 2018 Del Mar Derby (G2) winner Ride a Comet.
Eclipse president Aron Wellman said: “Tapwrit gave our partners one of the greatest highs a racehorse owner can have when he won the Belmont Stakes. Tapwrit remains the most expensive yearling Eclipse has ever acquired and formed a partnership for—a strong, well-made, beautiful yearling by champion sire Tapit out of a grade 1-winning 2-year-old. He rewarded our confidence in him, and I look forward to him rewarding breeders in his new career at stud.”
Tapwrit is available for inspection at Gainesway from 1-2 p.m. daily.
“We are excited to be standing a classic-winning son of Tapit,” said Gainesway president Antony Beck. “Physically, Tapwrit is as impressive of a stallion as you will find. He’s going to have beautiful yearlings and make a tremendous sire.”