Fittingly, a Tapit colt gives Asmussen the wins record
There could hardly have been a sire more appropriate to give trainer Steve Asmussen a record victory than Tapit. The Hall of Fame trainer became North America’s all-time career wins leader on Saturday at Saratoga when the Tapit colt Stellar Tap won on debut. The victory gave Asmussen 9,446 wins, moving him one ahead of the late Dale Baird.
Asmussen has handled many of the leading sire’s most successful progeny and has been lauded for his ability to bring out the best in the stallion’s intelligent, sometimes high-strung offspring.
“It’s just meant to be, wasn’t it?” Asmussen said in the winner’s circle. “It was just meant to be. With a son of Tapit, with Winchell Thoroughbreds – L and N partners with them on this horse – and a horse that came through Laredo at Saratoga on Whitney Day. That’s a pretty good target from 9,446 away, isn’t it? That’s what dreams are made of.”
Tapit was purchased as a yearling by the late Verne Winchell. Asmussen’s father, Keith, broke Tapit at his training center in Laredo, Texas. The stallion now stands at Gainesway Farm. He has three times been North America’s leading general sire and is the most successful stallion in the modern history of the Belmont Stakes, with four winners. Asmussen trained one of those, 2016 victor Creator. He also guided Eclipse Award champion Untapable, a daughter of Tapit who won the 2014 Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Distaff, through four seasons of racing that included eight graded stakes scores. Other standouts from Asmussen’s dozens of Tapits saddled include 2012 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Tapizar and multiple graded stakes winner Tapiture.
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Winchell Thoroughbreds, now helmed by Ron Winchell, campaigned Untapable, Tapizar, and Tapiture as homebreds. Winchell also co-owned Asmussen’s 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner (by Candy Ride) and co-owns current stable star Silver State (Hard Spun), winner of this year’s Metropolitan Handicap and third in Saturday’s Whitney at Saratoga.
“I was definitely blessed,” Asmussen said. “I’m very proud of where I came from and don’t ever want to forget it. It makes you who you are. I love to be able to share this with my parents.”