PROFILE
| Foaled: | March 17, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Breeder: | Gainesway Thoroughbred |
| Color/Sex: | Bay/Colt |
| Sire: | Tapit |
| Dam: | Courtisane |
| Dam Sire: | Silver Finder |
| Trainer: | Bill Mott |
HORSE OVERVIEW
A colt by a phenomenal stallion, this son of Tapit is a head-turner with a great mind and looks to display versatility. In training with Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who conditions one of Tapit’s richest earners, Tacitus.
There was just something different about this colt than others to our acquisition team. In the days leading up to the sale we kept going back to see the colt at the barn for pre-sale physical inspections. Each time he was calm, cool, and collected, never once turning a hair. Which to those familiar with the offspring of Tapit realize is pretty hard to come by, as they are usually pretty high strung and often difficult to handle.
In his pre-sale under tack show the colt breezed an eighth of a mile in 10 3/5, certainly not the fastest breeze of the sale, but a factor that is not overly concerning to us given his size, scope, and pedigree. Offspring of Tapit are known for getting better with age and distance. Given this colt’s look and pedigree for classic distances and potential affinity for the turf (his half sister Madame Stripes was a Grade 3 winner on turf).
Needless to say, we weren’t the only ones thinking this way when the hammer dropped on our winning bid of $230,000 on Day 3 of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in training after a pretty lengthy back and forth with the underbidder.
We’re looking forward to getting him into trainer Bill Mott’s program where he’ll benefit from a program known for patientce and that produces results on both surfaces.
Breeding Insights
Tapit needs no introduction as he has now been one of the world’s top stallions for over a decade and he might be the only stallion in the world who has a special day named in his honor!
Currently represented by Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality, Tapit’s success in the breeding shed is mind-boggling and will shape generations of future runners for years to come. He is the sire of a record 27 Grade 1 winners, on both turf and dirt, including Belmont Stakes winners Tonalist, Creator, and Tapwrit. His offspring also include Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Untapable, Metropolitan Mile winner Frosted, now a successful sire in his own right; Breeders’ Cup winners Hansen and Stardom Bound, Unique Bella, Cupid, and Time and Motion.
The sire’s acclaim is so high in the Bluegrass State that the mayor of Lexington, Ky., where Tapit stands at Gainesway, proclaimed April 15 as “Tapit Day”. In the sales ring, Tapit’s popularity with buyers is epic, with more than 30 of his progeny bringing $1 million or more.
Tapit is standing the 2021 season for a fee of $185,000, making him one of the most expensive stallions in North America.
This colt’s dam, Courtisane, has produced four winners and was a winner herself in Argentina. A half-sister to this colt, Madame Stripes, was a multiple Group/Grade 1-placed runner in North and South America and a Grade 3 winner in the U.S. Another half-sibling, Equal Court was a stakes winner in Argentina and also owns a Group 3 placing there. This colt’s second dam, Compagne, is a half-sister to South American champion Campagnarde.
Expected on track: Fall 2021
Tap the Gavel Win Photos
Monmouth’s track photographer Bill Denver has uploaded Tap the Gavel’s win photo, which can be purchased here. He was kind enough to provide us with instructions on purchasing: Anyone that orders paying the full price will automatically have the name on the order added to the Ownership line. If they have any changes to that name […]
Tap the Gavel Race Recap
Tap the Gavel finished sixth today in his second career start at Tampa Bay Downs. We were hoping that he would build off his second-place finish in his debut in November, but today the colt was never quite comfortable with horses to his outside, according to jockey Samy Camacho, who gives our East Coast […]
Tap the Gavel Race Overview
Tap the Gavel is headed back to Tampa Bay Downs tomorrow for his second start, after a very good second there to launch his career on November 27th. Running in the eighth race on the 10-race card, Tap the Gavel will break from the rail in the field of 10 newly turned 3-year-olds. Samy Camacho […]