Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit returns Sunday

ELMONT, N.Y. – Tapwrit, the 2017 Belmont Stakes winner, will make his long-awaited return to the races in an allowance Sunday at Belmont Park.

The race will be the first for Tapwrit since he finished fourth in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga last August. Tapwrit had been battling a foot issue that forced his connections to stop on him late last summer. Tapwrit injured the frog, the bottom of a horse’s foot that acts like a shock absorber, and was given ample time to heal.

“Something we had been battling for awhile,” trainer todd Pletcher said. “We thought we had it in pretty good shape for the Travers, but the race took its toll and set it back. It was one of those things that unless you stop training it wasn’t going to heal.”

Pletcher said that Tapwrit would wear an aluminum pad on his right front foot for protection.

The race, at 1 1/16 miles, drew a field of six including 2017 Peter Pan Stakes winner Timeline, the multiple New York-bred stakes winner Hit It Once More, You’re to Blame, Hoffenheim, and T R Crew.

Tapwrit drew the outside post and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.