Tapit Trice a horse bred and sold with races like the Kentucky Derby (G1); went a long way towards that May 6 classic when it won. Verification in progress in a duel to win $998,125 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) on April 8 at Keeneland.
The protracted drama of the protracted duel played out even after the end as the managers considered objections from Verification’s Tyler Gaffalione before deciding to keep order to the finish line, upholding the win. before Tapit Trice.
“I think he’s improving all the time,” Pletcher said. “We’ve always felt that longer distances would be good for him. We’re happy to take him one eighth of a mile today and we feel like a mile and a half was even better for him. it.”
Co-owner Mandy Pope is looking forward to her third Derby, and after finishing fifth in 2013 with ochna tree whom she co-owns with GoldMark Farm, and stands off the board with a single campaign charge it last year, this time she will come with a horse that is considered one of the two or three favorites.
“It seems like everything you throw at him, he struts,” said Pope, who co-owns Tapit Trice with breeder Gainesway Stable. “He’s not too worried about anything. He just goes and does it with a lot of energy and consideration. He’s not going to do anything stupid. He listens (driver Luis Saez). ) and did what he had to do. He was proud of himself.”
Tapit Trice will show both its steady progress and intelligence in Saturday’s test. After the seventh race like a long shot clean the air running the quarter mile at:23.32 while being tracked by Verify, Saez made smart moves on his smart horse. Saez was a little closer to the contention for fourth place on the outside when his button-pressing horse responded.
“The pace was a bit slow and we knew the horse we had to beat was right in front of us, so we went ahead to chase him,” Saez said. “He’s very smart. He doesn’t take the lead but that’s okay because he knows how to win the last race. He’ll run when you ask him to.”
Tapit Trice did just that Saturday, as he moved up next to Verify to vie for the lead midway through. He will win by the neck, completing the 1/8 mile race in 1:50, after the two collide in the ramp. When it comes to live video playback, it looks like Verification has tilted in favor of the winner.
“I just felt like another horse lunging at us,” Saez said.
Jockey Tyler Gaffalione admits he doesn’t feel strongly about the incident but wants managers to look into it.
“The other horse went green and bumped into me,” Gaffalione said. “Hats off to the winner. Both ran a big race in the lane.”
Brad Cox, coach of Verification, likes the effort of Triple Crown winner’s son justification half-brother with the older female 2019 champion Midnight Bisou who started for the first time since finishing fourth in Rebel Staking (G2) on February 25 at Oaklawn Park. Cox said he hopes to advance to the Derby. Verification appears solid in this area with 54 points.
Last year’s Champagne Stakes (G1) winner, Blazing Sevens , took the lead to finish third but never threatened the top two. His 46 Derby qualifying points placed 17th at the end of Saturday’s races and would guarantee him a place in the classics should his ties choose to continue.
Tapit Trice connections celebrate winning the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland
Tapit Trice, who paid $5.28 to win, claimed his fourth straight win. He scored twice as long in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), an effort that Saez said gave him much-needed experience for Saturday’s game. With the win, Tapit Trice clinched the highest Base Speed Number of his career of 103, culminating in a largely steady improvement of 84 on his debut followed by 96.96 and 96. 98.
Seeing Tapit Trice graduate on Saturday, he was emotional. Under his Whisper Hill Farm banner, Pope made a big investment in the sport, purchasing several high-priced mares. With Tapit Trice, she made the same investment in a hungry, $1.3 million pony to include it in Keeneland’s September 2021 Annual Sale from Gainesway consignment. Antony Beck’s Gainesway was later acquired as a partner.
“He was absolutely brilliant,” Beck said. “It’s been great to be partnered with Mandy Pope. It’s a great friendship.”
Tapit Trice not among the tier 3 high stakes winners dazatrice daughter of runner-up Belmont Stakes (G1) 2009 Dunkirk . Danzatrice is the younger half-sister of the 2-year-old champion of 2018 Long walk a person who twice won class 1.
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