Tap It To Win ends layoff with Sprint Stakes victory

Tap It to Win returned to competition in his home state Sunday at Tampa Bay Downs, and delivered in emphatic fashion by cruising to a 4 1/4-length win as the favorite in the $110,000 Sprint Stakes on the Florida Cup program.

The race was one of six stakes on the card for Florida-registered runners.

Tap It to Win ($3.80), under Antonio Gallardo, was bumped by R Mercedes Boy at the break, then bided his time as that foe took the field through an opening quarter in 22.16 seconds and a half in 44.82 seconds. Tap It to Win was still fifth of six, but with only about two lengths to make up at that point. Gallardo angled him in for running room and, under right-handed urging, Tap It to Win forged his way past a stubborn R Mercedes Boy. He easily pulled clear in the final stages, stopping the clock in 1:09.43 for the six furlongs.

R Mercedes Boy was a clear second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Hauntedbythemusic.

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Tap It to Win, a Tapit ridgling who races as a homebred for Charlotte Weber’s storied Live Oak Plantation, is trained by Mark Casse. He won consecutive races to start his 3-year-old campaign in 2020, earning him a shot in the Belmont Stakes, last year contested at 1 1/8 miles on June 20 as the first leg of the reconstituted Triple Crown. Tap It to Win set the pace in the Belmont and wound up fifth. He cut back in distance for the rest of the season, finishing second to Echo Town in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga and third to Rushie and Sonneman in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs.

Elsewhere on the Florida Cup card:

• Me and Mr. C won the $110,000 Turf Classic and Foreman won the $110,000 Sophomore Stakes, both under Daniel Centeno as the jockey recorded three winners on the day. Centeno also won a maiden special weight with Fate of Ophelia on the undercard.

Me and Mr. C ($6.60), whom Centeno rode for Mike Maker, advanced four wide into the stretch and edged favored Shamrocket by half a length after a long drive. The gelding, by reigning Florida leading sire Khozan, was stakes-placed as a juvenile in 2019, but appears to be coming to hand as an older horse this year, having now won two of three outings on the season.

Foreman ($12.60) edged Willy Boi by half a length in the Sophomore after pressing the pace. The gelding, trained by Gerald Bennett, had been third in the Pasco Stakes earlier this year against open company at Tampa.

• Indy Lyon prevailed by a nose in a tight finish to upset the $110,000 Sophomore Turf Stakes.

Indy Lyon ($27.40) set the pace and opened up a 1 1/2-length lead into the stretch, then held off a rally from runner-up Officiating and from favored Chess's Dream, who was another neck back in third.

Indy Lyon had Ronald Allen Jr. in the irons for trainer Maria Bowersock. This was the stakes debut for the gelding, who has now won four of five starts this year.

• Summering ($10.40) and Jesus Castanon prevailed by a head over Classy Woman, the longest shot on the board, in the $110,000 Distaff Turf Stakes after those two ran in the top two positions the length of the race. Summering, a Glen Hill Farm homebred, is trained by Tom Proctor. This was her first start since finishing sixth in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap in August in California.

• Favored R Adios Jersey ($5.40) won the $110,000 Sophomore Fillies stakes wire to wire by 2 1/4 lengths, with Paco Lopez in the irons for Georgina Baxter.