Tapit sets single-season earnings record

Gainesway sire Tapit has set a single-season record by North American progeny earnings, thanks to the victory by his daughter Untapable in Friday’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita.

The 13-year-old son of Pulpit’s North American earnings for 2014 stood at $15,165,135 entering Sunday, Nov. 2. The previous record-holder was Lane’s End sire Smart Strike, whose runners earned $14,358,570 in 2007, led by Horse of the Year Curlin.

Tapit entered the first day of the Breeders’ Cup program roughly three-quarters of a million dollars behind Smart Strike, and drew closer when Tapiture earned $180,000 with a runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. Untapable’s win in the Distaff banked $1.1 million to push her sire past the threshold. Untapable, who also won the Kentucky Oaks earlier in the season, is Tapit’s chief earner this year, with $2,808,600.

Tapit added to his margin on Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup card, when son Tonalist – winner of the Belmont Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup – picked up $150,000 for finishing fifth in the Classic, North America’s richest race.

Through October, Tapit has been represented by 298 North American runners with 139 winners in 2014. Along with Untapable and Tonalist, his 16 stakes winners this season include Grade 1 winner Constitution, Grade 2 winners Tapiture, Ring Weekend, Coup de Grace, and Teen Pauline, and Grade 3 winners Bandbox and Cassatt.

Tapit was bred in Kentucky by Oldenburg Farms, and campaigned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, which retains a half-interest in the horse and races several of his top progeny, including Untapable and Tapiture. In an interview with Racing Post, Antony Beck of Gainesway said that a single share in Tapit was sold for $2.8 million, valuing the horse around $140 million.