Photo: Brett Workman
Tapwrit, with a strong victory in the 2017 Belmont Stakes, pushed his sire
Tapit into elite company as a sire of Belmont Stakes Champions. Tapwit is the third son of Tapit to capture the 1 1/2 mile event in four years. Tapit’s
reign began in 2014 with Tonalist. Last year, his son Creator became Belmont Stakes winner number two. In the gap
year of 2015 when American Pharoah completed the
Triple Crown, Tapit’s son Frosted earned second place in the Belmont Stakes.
A Long Time Ago
Only the great Lexington sired
three Belmont Stakes winners within four years, and he’s the only stallion who
produced a tetrad; (1868 General Duke, 1870 Kingfisher, 1871 Harry Basset, 1879
Duke of Magenta). Lexington was leading sire for a total of sixteen years, from
1861-1874, again in 1876 and 1878. The
city of Lexington, Kentucky is named in honor of the exceptional stallion.
Besides Tapit, three other
stallions, in 149 years, have sired three Belmont Stakes winners, but none
who had three Belmont winners in four years. Australian (1872 Joe Daniels, 1873
Springbok & 1879 Spendthrift), Fair Play (1920 Man O’War, 1924 Mad Play
1927 Chance Shot) and Fair Play’s son, Man O’War American Flag (1925), Crusader
(1926), War Admiral (1937).
Australian
Australian was foaled in 1868 and
imported from England to the US along with his dam. The stallion produced three Belmont Stakes
winners; Joe Daniels (1872), Springbok (1873), and Spendthrift (1879). Of
these, the most accomplished both on the track and at stud was Spendthrift, who
earned championship honors as a two and three-year-old.
Spendthrift sired Belmont Stakes winner Hastings, a two-time leading sire.
Hastings was noted for having a fiery temperament, which he passed along to
some of his offspring. Hastings sired one Belmont Stakes winner, Masterman, but Hasting’s most celebrated son was
Fair Play.
Fair Play
Fair Play continued the family
tradition of siring Belmont Stakes
winners, giving us Man O’War (1920), Mad Play (1924), and Chance Shot (1927).
Mad Play was sterile. After a stakes
winning career, Chance Shot retired to Elmendorf
Stud in 1930, replacing his sire, who had died the year before. Chance Shot
sired Belmont Stakes winner Peace Chance, but the stallion was a better
broodmare sire.
Man O’War
Fair Play’s acclaimed son Man
O’War needs no introduction to most racing fans. Man O’ War’s achievements
earned him worldwide recognition to this
day. In 1999, The Bloodhorse Magazine voted Man O’War as the greatest horse of
the 20th Century. Man O’War carried his legendary status through his
stud career, and his bloodlines are found
in today’s Thoroughbreds. Man O’War sired three champions in his first crop,
including Belmont Stakes champ American Flag. The Legend’s second crop included
another Belmont Stakes winner, Crusader, who was a dud at stud. Man O’War’s
third son War Admiral completed a sweep of the Triple Crown in 1937. The
diminutive stallion was a leading sire
but is best known as one of the best broodmare sires in modern history.
That brings us to our recent sire
of champions, Tapit. The pretty gray stallion blasted off to prominence as a leading
sire with his first crop in 2008. His top earner for the year was Champion 2-Year-Old
Filly Stardom Bound. Since then, Tapit has been no worse than seventh on the
general sires list and topped the North American Earnings list from
2014 – 2016. He currently stands for $300,000.
It’s All Relative
Tapit carries the bloodlines of
Belmont Stakes winners and producers. His second tail sire A.P. Indy won the 1992
Belmont Stakes and in the same year, earned Eclipse Awards as Champion 3-Year-Old
Colt and Horse of the Year. A.P. Indy was the offspring of two Triple Crown
Champs. His sire is Seattle Slew and his damsire Secretariat.
Surprisingly, A.P. Indy sired a lone Belmont Stakes winner, but hey, if
you’re going to get only one, make it a big one. His daughter Rags to Riches
became only the third filly to win the Belmont Stakes in an epic battle with
eventual two-time Horse of the Year and prominent sire, Curlin.
Tapit’s third tail sire is Triple
Crown Champ Seattle Slew. Besides A.P. Indy, who was his best son at stud,
Seattle Slew sired Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Swale. The racing
world was shocked when the good looking dark bay suddenly died of a heart
attack a week after the Belmont Stakes. Farther back in Tapit’s male tail line
is Bold Ruler, who gave us 1973 Triple Crown Champ, Secretariat. Bold Ruler’s
sire Nasrullah is noted for two Belmont Stakes winners, the remarkable Nashua
and Jaipur.
Nashua is the sire of Gold
Digger, the dam of Mr. Prospector. Gold Digger’s damsire is Triple Crown Champ
Count Fleet, who sired two Belmont Stakes winners. Tapit is inbred to Mr.
Prospector 3x4.
Tapit’s damsire Unbridled won the
Kentucky Derby but didn’t compete in the
Belmont Stakes after losing the Preakness. The stallion passed his classic
genes to Belmont Stakes hero Empire Maker, who, along with his sons, is
creating his own sire line filled with classic champions.
Farther back in Tapit’s pedigree,
we’ll find the champion and four-time leading broodmare sire, Buckpasser. Tapit
is inbred to Buckpasser (5x6). Buckpasser’s damsire is War Admiral. Keep
traveling back, and we wind up where we started, with Australian.
Back to the Future
The 16-year-old Tapit is in the prime of his stud career and barring health or fertility concerns, could have
a good eight to ten years left to produce scores of stakes winners. There’s a
good chance that Tapit could equal or surpass his ancestor Australian’s record
of siring four Belmont Stakes winners. Tapit’s stallion resume lacks Kentucky
Derby and Preakness credentials, so hopefully, we’ll see a son or daughter
bestow that honor on the nation’s most expensive stud.
References & Photos used by permission of Thoroughbred
Heritage.com
