Tapwrit headed to Blue Grass

Tapwrit, winner of the Tampa Bay Derby in his last start, will head to Keeneland for the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes on April 8 for his final start before the May 6 Kentucky Derby, Aron Wellman, who runs the Eclipse Thoroughbred partnership, said Monday.

Eclipse is part of an ownership group in Tapwrit that includes Bridlewood Farm and Robert LaPenta.

“He’s telling us with the way he’s training that he deserves another opportunity to race before the big dance,” Wellman said.

Jose Ortiz will have the mount in the Blue Grass, Wellman said.

Tapwrit has won three of his last four starts, his lone loss in that sequence a second-place finish behind McCraken in the Sam Davis Stakes. McCraken is also heading to the Blue Grass, as is Withers winner J Boys Echo and possibly Practical Joke.

Tapwrit worked a half-mile in 49.20 seconds on Saturday morning for trainer Todd Pletcher at the Palm Beach Downs training center in South Florida. He will have one more work this weekend before the Blue Grass.