Harlan Estate rallies for 37-1 upset in Tapit Stakes

Harlan Estate sprang a 37-1 upset in the featured Tapit Stakes on Thursday, opening day of the Kentucky Downs meet, a first stakes win for the 5-year-old gelding as well as for his third-year trainer, Whit Beckman.

Ridden by Declan Cannon, Harlan Estate raced a few positions out of last place behind a fast pace in the $349,167 Tapit, restricted to horses without a stakes win in 2023. Harlan Estate progressed steadily off the final turn and into the homestretch and rallied wide to a 1 3/4-length victory.

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione on runner-up English Bee lodged an objection against the winner, which was disallowed, for deep stretch interference. English Bee might have been edging out as Harlan Estate came in, causing Gaffalione to take up, but English Bee in any case held on for second and already was beaten by Harlan Estate, so the incident didn’t affect the outcome. Jockey Jareth Loveberry on fifth-place Speaking Scout, according to the track announcer, also claimed foul against the winner for interference at the sixteenth pole, but Harlan Estate was nowhere near Speaking Scout at that point.

English Bee finished a head in front of third-place Yes This Time, who was one length better than 2-1 favorite Strong Quality. Off rapid splits of 22.50 seconds and 45.11 set by Strong Quality (a long run-up to the start of timing produces fast fractions at Kentucky Downs), Harlan Estate was timed in 1:38.47 for one mile 70 yards. The turf was firm and quick, the temporary rail set at 40 feet, and Harlan Estate paid $76.52.

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Harlan Estate still was only eighth after three-quarters but was in the bridle following Yes This Time about four paths off the temporary rail. Cannon swung out about eight paths from the fence to make his run, and Harlan Estate had thundered to the lead before the sixteenth pole.

Beckman, a former assistant to Chad Brown, went out on his own late in 2021. His stable has surged this summer, and Harlan Estate got Beckman off the stakes duck following 11 losses in black-type races. An Ontario-bred by Kantharos out of Archerette, by Arch, Harlan Estate wasn’t eligible for the $250,000 portion of the purse available to Kentucky-breds, and his payday was $145,700.

Beckman began training Harlan Estate late in 2022 after the Graham Grace Stable bought the gelding for $145,000 at Keeneland’s November sale. After two poor performances from Harlan Esatate this winter, Beckman began racing the horse without blinkers, and Harlan Estate responded with competitive performances in a third-level Churchill Downs allowance and in the Arlington Stakes. Harlan Estate ran well below that form in his next two starts, and Beckman put blinkers back on the gelding for Thursday’s race – to very good effect.

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