Tapwrit to Rood & Riddle With Foot Injury

Tapwrit, the 2017 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) winner, has been sent to Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital near Lexington after he emerged from the Aug. 26 Travers Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) with a foot injury.

The 3-year-old son of Tapit  shed his right front frog and will be evaluated by Dr. Larry Bramlage to determine whether he will miss the remainder of his sophomore campaign, co-owner Aron Wellman said. 

Wellman is president of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, which owns the Todd Pletcher-trained colt with Robert LaPenta, Bridlewood Farm, Gainesway Farm, and Mandy Pope.

"It happens on deep, sandy tracks," Wellman said. "We see it with relative frequency. If anything, it gives us a little more appreciation for his effort in the Travers. It's certainly disappointing to lose time, but we've all huddled up with the owners and with Todd, and first things first. We have to get him 100% before we think about anything for the future."

Should Tapwrit spend the remainder of the year on the sidelines, he would get his rest at Bridlewood Farm near Ocala, Fla. He is expected to run as a 4-year-old.

"Thankfully it's a superficial injury. It's just something that takes time and attention to get right," Wellman said. "It's always disappointing to sideline a horse, but he's traveled, he's danced every dance, (and) he got us a classic win, so we can't be too upset."

Tapwrit, bred in Kentucky by My Meadowview out of the multiple graded stakes-winning Successful Appeal  mare Appealing Zophie, was a $1.2 million purchase from Denali Stud's consignment to the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga select yearling sale in 2015.

He broke his maiden in November of 2016 at Gulfstream Park West, won the Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream Park that December, finished second in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs in February, and returned to that track to take the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2).

He finished fifth in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland in April, ran sixth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), and won the third leg of the Triple Crown June 10 before his August run in the Travers, where he finished eight lengths back of winner West Coast at Saratoga Race Course.

"He's put in such a hard campaign," Wellman said. "He really hasn't taken a deep breath for about a year. He's due for some much-deserved rest anyhow. If Dr. Bramlage thinks it's something we can nip in the bud relatively quickly, he'd go back into training with Todd, but if Dr. Bramlage says the timing won't work out to get him another race this year, we'll regroup, rejuvenate, and gear up (in) 2018.

"It's really nice to know we'd have a classic winner fresh and ready to tackle the 4-year-old season."  

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing Stables already have a solid 4-year-old with Destin, second by a nose in last year's Belmont to Creator. The Giant's Causeway  colt will likely be pointed to the Oct. 7 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont off an Aug. 23 allowance score at the Spa.

"Unless something really comes up light in California, it makes sense to run him there," Wellman said. "He's run very very well at Belmont."