Tap to Open surges late, takes Mother Goose Stakes
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ELMONT, N.Y. - Tap to Open didn’t have the kind of trip that a filly with her running style has that would have been conducive to success in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing seven weeks ago. Wide and well off the pace, Tap to Open grinded her way to a fourth-place finish, 8 1/2 lengths behind Bodacious Bay.
On Saturday, kept inside and up close by Manny Franco, Tap to Open found a nice hole along the rail turning for home and persevered to a 3 1/4-length victory in the Grade 2, $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park. Answered Prayers, well back early, rallied to get second by two lengths over Tahlequah. Bodacious Bay, the 4-5 Mother Goose favorite off her win in the Cotillion, could manage only fourth after being part of a contested pace.
Manny Franco was riding Tap to Open for the first time for trainer Brad Cox and the Whisper Hill Farm of Mandy Pope. Franco was intent on keeping Tap to Open close to the pace so that when the real running started his filly wouldn’t have so much to do.
Tap to Open was on the inside of the second flight of horses, about two lengths behind Iron Orchard, Ati Girl and Bodacious Bay. Around the far turn, Franco had to go around a tiring Iron Orchard, but when he saw Micah Husbands aboard Bodacious Bay keep his horse off the rail, Franco pounced on the opening on the inside that was left for him.
“I knew that hole would open up because the horse in front ... I see the rider, he didn’t want to secure the rail, he was looking to the outside,” Franco said. “I said ‘You go there, I’m going to cut inside.’ I knew I got horse under me, I knew she was going to go through. They told me she’s a one-pace filly, so I just took it from there.”
Tap to Open is a one-paced, well-bred filly. She’s by Tapit out of the mare I’ll Take Charge, making her a full sister to the Grade 2 winner Charge It. I’ll Take Charge is a sibling to Grade 1 winners As Time Goes By, Will Take Charge and Take Charge Indy.
Prior to her fourth in the Cotillion, Tap to Open had won three consecutive races, including the Cathryn Sophia at Parx.
“Brad had some questions on the one-turn today, but she answered all those questions for him,” said Dustin Dugas, Cox’s New York-based assistant.
Tap to Open covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.72 and returned $12.72 as the second choice.
The win capped a big day for the stallion Tapit who also sired Dwyer Stakes winner Stimulate and is the broodmare sire of Pumpkin Pie Stakes winner Beauty Reigns.
Bill Mott trained both of those winners, but had to settle for second with Answered Prayers, who made a nice rally under Junior Alvarado to get second.
“Junior said she wasn’t comfortable early on, he just let her get herself together but he said I was just too far back,” Mott said.
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