Belmont Stakes winner and millionaire Tapwrit has been retired from racing and will enter stud at Gainesway for a $12,500 stud fee in 2019.
A gray son of three-time leading sire Tapit, Tapwrit was a $1.2-million yearling purchase by Bridlewood Farm, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Robert V. LaPenta at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale.
Tapwrit is out of Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes winner and multiple graded-stakes producer Appealing Zophie, who is also the dam of 2018 G2 Del Mar Derby winner Ride a Comet.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Tapwrit captured Gulfstream Park's one-mile Pulpit Stakes as a 2-year-old.
At three, Tapwrit set a new stakes record in the 1 1/16-mile G2 Tampa Bay Derby, winning by 4½ lengths in 1:42.36. Following a troubled sixth in the Kentucky Derby, Tapwrit scored by two lengths in the Belmont Stakes. Tapwrit's 103 Beyer Speed Figure is the second-highest figure for a Belmont winner in the last decade, behind only American Pharoah's 105.
“Tapwrit always showed a great deal of ability, but in the Belmont Stakes he demonstrated the class and competitiveness you need to win a classic race,” Pletcher said. “With his outstanding physical and pedigree, Tapwrit certainly has the credentials to be a top sire.”
Eclipse president Aron Wellman said: “Tapwrit gave our partners one of the greatest highs a racehorse owner can have when he won the Belmont Stakes. Tapwrit remains the most expensive yearling Eclipse has ever acquired and formed a partnership for—a strong, well-made, beautiful yearling by champion sire Tapit out of a Grade 1-winning 2-year-old. He rewarded our confidence in him, and I look forward to him rewarding breeders in his new career at stud.”
Tapwrit is available for inspection at Gainesway from 1-2 p.m. daily.
“We are excited to be standing a classic-winning son of Tapit,” said Gainesway president Antony Beck. “Physically, Tapwrit is as impressive of a stallion as you will find. He's going to have beautiful yearlings and make a tremendous sire.”
New to the Paulick Report? Click here to sign up for our daily email newsletter to keep up on this and other stories happening in the Thoroughbred industry.
Copyright © 2019 Paulick Report.
Ask Ray?
