Half to American Pharoah Triple Tap Rolls on Debut

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Half to American Pharoah Triple Tap Rolls on Debut
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Triple Tap breaks his maiden at Santa Anita Park

Summer Wind Equine homebred Triple Tap put on a show as expected in his March 13 debut at Santa Anita Park. The 3-year-old Tapit  half brother to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  was sent off at 1-5 odds in the seven-furlong maiden special weight and rolled to a 4 1/4-length victory under Flavien Prat.

After the race, Summer Wind's Jane Lyon told TVG breeding a horse like Triple Tap and watching him develop is "agonizing. It is agonizing because every step he takes, every time he works, my heart is in my throat because I'm far too emotionally attached to him. I really am. But it makes it so wonderful when a day like this happens."

Triple Tap, like American Pharoah, is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

At the start of Saturday's race, Triple Tap broke well from the outside post 4 and settled in second to press the pace. Eyes Open, the lone filly in the field, set fractions of :23.31 and :46.63 through the first half-mile, but Triple Tap drew even with her on the turn for home and took over to run six furlongs in 1:10.97.

Baffert's other entry, Spendthrift Farm's Barraza, came on from fourth but was no match for Triple Tap, who completed the distance on a fast track in 1:23.12.

Barraza finished second, followed by Eyes Open and Ivory Sky.

Triple Tap earned $36,600 of the $59,780 purse.

"It went smooth. He broke well, he rated off that horse kindly, and when (Prat) asked him to go he pushed the button, he accelerated," Baffert told TVG. "We were always pretty high on this horse. It just took a while to get him to the races because Jane is very patient and they're her babies, and I got to take care of her babies. It's really exciting because Jane puts so much time and effort in and she loves her horses, and she probably makes me more nervous sitting next to her during the race. I was explaining to her, 'I think you're OK,' but it's exciting. You got 'Pharoah's' brother and he can really run, and that's a big plus."

Baffert was not ready to commit Triple Tap for the April 3 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1), a prep race for the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

"It's going to be a little difficult. The thing is, we don't (want) to rush him, so we're not even thinking about that right now," Baffert said. "…I want to get this race out of the way and then we're going to talk about it and figure out what we're going to do.

"He won nice, it looks like he can go two turns easily. I just like what I saw today. I really didn't want to go seven eighths with him. The further the better with him … I got to thank track management here for letting us run these great horses in short fields."

Summer Wind bought Triple Tap's dam, the Yankee Gentleman mare Littleprincessemma, for $2.1 million out of the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment to The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's premier breeding stock sale in Lexington, in 2014. The purchase came after American Pharoah won the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and FrontRunner Stakes (G1) at 2 for owner/breeder Zayat Stables.

Littleprincessemma's first foal by Tapit was Chasing Yesterday, a 2016 filly who won the Starlet Stakes (G1) at 2 for Summer Wind and Baffert. Littleprincessemma also has a 2-year-old filly named Lasting Tribute and a yearling filly named Sunrise Service, both by Tapit, and was reported bred back to the Gainesway stallion for 2021.