English Bee Tops Tapit Field

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English Bee Tops Tapit Field
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Photo: Coady Photography
English Bee (inside) wins the 2019 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs

Last year's New Kent County Virginia Derby (G3T) winner English Bee and Hembree head a capacity field of 12 in the Sept. 9 $300,000 Tapit Stakes at Kentucky Downs on Coca-Cola Day.

The race, staged at a mile and 70 yards, is for horses that have not won a stakes in 2020, but that restriction brought together a strong assembly of older horses including last year's winner, Get Western. The Tapit, then known as the Old Friends, is the same stakes that launched 2018 winner Next Shares to victory in the $1 million Shadwell Turf Mile (G1T) at Keeneland in his next start.

A homebred for Calumet Farm and trained by Graham Motion, English Bee is a three-time stakes-winner but so far his best finishes in five starts this year was a close second by a neck in the Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs and was second by a half length in Canadian Turf Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park. In his last start, English Bee was sixth in the Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland while losing by just a length.

Hembree, a winner of $702,483, was scratched out of Monday's $750,000 Tourist Mile to run in the Tapit. Two years ago he won the Nearctic Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine. He has subsequently been second in two other graded stakes.

Hawkish wins the 2018 Penn Mile
Photo: B  & D Photography
Hawkish takes the 2018 Penn Mile at Penn National Race Course

Trainer Jimmy Toner ships in Hawkish, winner of the Penn Mile Stakes (G2T) in 2018, in from New York, and Tim Yakteen brings in Keeneland's 2017 Transylvania Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select (G3T) winner Big Score in from California. The grade 1-placed Big Score enters the Tapit coming off a victory in a Aug. 21 allowance optional claimer at Del Mar.

Ritzy A P and Hemp Hemp Hurray were early scratches, making it possible for Midnight Tea Time and Split the Wickets to draw in. Trainer Mike Maker said Empire of War will be scratched. If he does, Vanbrugh will be able to draw into the race.


Entries: Tapit S.

Kentucky Downs, Wednesday, September 09, 2020, Race 9

  • STK
  • 1m 70y
  • Turf
  • $300,000
  • 3 yo's & up
  • 4:32 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Morocco (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jose L. Ortiz 122 Michael J. Maker 15/1
2 2Get Western (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Julien R. Leparoux 122 J. Reeve McGaughey 15/1
3 3Hawkish (KY) Javier Castellano 122 James J. Toner 10/1
4 4Ramsey Solution (KY) Gerardo Corrales 122 Wesley A. Ward 12/1
5 5English Bee (KY) James Graham 122 H. Graham Motion 5/1
6 6Hierarchy (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 122 Joe Sharp 8/1
7 7Ritzy A. P. (KY) Declan Cannon 122 Jack Sisterson 15/1
8 8Hembree (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Ricardo Santana, Jr. 122 Michael J. Maker 9/2
9 9Empire of War (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Tyler Gaffalione 122 Michael J. Maker 8/1
10 10Hemp Hemp Hurray (ON)Keeneland Sales Graduate Rafael Bejarano 122 Robert C. Cline 30/1
11 11Big Score (KY) Flavien Prat 124 Tim Yakteen 4/1
12 12Temple (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Michael J. Maker 10/1
13 13Midnight Tea Time (KY) Adam Beschizza 122 Joe Sharp 8/1
14 14Conviction Trade (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate David Cohen 122 Jorge R. Abreu 30/1
15 15Split the Wickets (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Rafael Bejarano 122 Thomas L. Van Berg 20/1
16 16Vanbrugh (KY) Florent Geroux 122 Brad H. Cox 12/1