Sky of Hook First Winner for Freshman Sire Tapiture
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsea Durand
Sky of Hook breaks his maiden on debut at Belmont Park
E.V. Racing Stable's Sky of Hook won on debut May 10 at Belmont Park to become the first winner for Darby Dan Farm's freshman sire Tapiture .
Trained by Rudy Rodriguez and ridden by Luis Saez, 2-year-old Sky of Hook veered in at the start but settled into fourth as the leader took the field of six colts through fast fractions of :22.05 and :45.59 for a half-mile.
Still in fourth through the stretch, Saez took Sky of Hook wide, and the pair closed well to get a head in front at the wire. The final time for the five furlongs on a fast track was :58.93.
Bred in New York by EV and NC Corporation, Sky of Hook is also the first winner for his dam, the Latent Heat mare Ambitious Dancer.
Video: Race 5 (MSW) at BEL on 5/10/19
Darby Dan acquired the breeding rights to Tapiture prior to his retirement from a racing career in which Steve Asmussen trained him for his breeder, Winchell Thoroughbreds.
The son of Tapit made a fast start, placing second or third in his first three starts before breaking his maiden in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) as a 2-year-old. Returning at 3, Tapiture won the Southwest Stakes (G3) in his season debut. He then finished second in the Rebel Stakes (G2) and fourth in the Arkansas Derby (G1) before finishing off the board in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).
Tapiture came back to take the Matt Winn Stakes (G3) and the West Virginia Derby (G2) before finishing the year as the runner-up in both the Pennsylvania Derby (G2) and the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1). He was retired after placing 10th in the following year's Dirt Mile as a 4-year-old.
A winner of $1,536,820, Tapiture retired with a record of 5-4-4 from 18 starts. His 2019 fee is $7,500.