Tapit Colt Lights Up Bid Board Early

One of the best-bred Tapit  s in the Keeneland September yearling sale catalog lit up the bid board early during the Sept. 13 second session, selling for $900,000 to William Mack and Robert Baker.

The colt was produced from the Proud Citizen mare Believe You Can, whose eight wins in 14 starts included the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) for owner-breeder Brereton C. Jones. Jones’ Airdrie Stud offered Believe You Can for sale at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale when she was carrying the Tapit colt, buying her back on a final bid of $4.9 million.

Mack said the colt's purchase had greater significance for him and Baker since they campaigned grade II winner Proud Citizen in partnership with David Cornstein. They also partnered with Airdrie on Proud Citizen at stud.

"So he's pretty nostalgic for us, and Tapit is a great sire," Mack said. "He's a great looking animal and we hope for the best."

The buyers were assisted in the purchase by agent Hugo Merry.

"We've worked with Hugo the last five years," Mack explained. "We've bought three horses through him and this is our fourth. We've been very happy with them."

"You always want to get as much as you can," Jones said of the colt's price. "He's going to be in good hands that's the most important thing. They (Mack and Baker) are good friends (of mine) and that's the fun of the horse business. If you can do these things and do it with friends, with that process tough times seem to get better instead of worse."

Erin Shea contributed to this article.