Sire Tapit Closing in on Record Season
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Leading North American sire Tapit has piled up impressive numbers this season and, as you might expect, his progeny figure prominently in the weekend's Breeders' Cup World Championships Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park.
With $13,603,970 in progeny earnings through Oct. 29, Tapit is closing in on the all-time, single-season earnings record for a North American-based sire, set in 2007 by Smart Strike at $14,358,570. That mark could be in jeopardy if Tapit picks up some top finishes in this weekend's lucrative Breeders' Cup races.
Tapit boasts the morning-line favorite in Friday's $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) in three-time grade I winner Untapable. The Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred is the leading 3-year-old filly in the country this season.
Tapit also figures prominently in the biggest Breeders' Cup race on Saturday as his Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Tonalist is pegged at 5-1 in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I). Robert S. Evans' Tonalist enters off a victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park. With $1,798,250 in earnings this season, Tonalist is Tapit's leading earner, to date, of 2014.
On Friday, Tapit also will be represented by Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred Tapiture, who enters the $1 million Dirt Mile (gr. I) off a runner-up finish to Bayern in the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) Sept. 20 at Parx Racing. Tapit also has Frank Jones Jr.'s Flying Tipat on the also-eligible list for the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT).
Tapit's current 2014 progeny earnings are already the most by any sire in a single season since Smart Strike's record year, which was led by Curlin .