Tapwrit to stand stud at Gainesway upon retirement

Antony Beck’s Gainesway and Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm have acquired interests in Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit, and the colt will stand at Gainesway in Lexington, Ky., upon his retirement from racing.

The 3-year-old son of Gainesway’s cornerstone sire, Tapit, will be raced in partnership with his initial group of owners – Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Bridlewood Farm, and Robert LaPenta. Todd Pletcher trains the colt.

“It is wonderful for them to participate in Tapwrit’s racing career, and we are honored to know that Tapwrit will ultimately be standing alongside his legendary sire at Gainesway when the time comes for him to go to stud,” Eclipse president Aron Wellman said.

Tapwrit is training for the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 26.

The Travers will be the first start for Tapwrit since his two-length win in the Belmont in June. It was the fourth win in eight career starts for the colt, who also won the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby and the non-graded Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He also finished second in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes and has amassed earnings of $1,143,902.

Plans call for the colt to race in 2018 as a 4-year-old.

“Mr. Beck and Ms. Pope have expressed incredible faith in Tapwrit’s further racing upside as well as his prospects as a stallion, making it clear that Tapwrit will be supported by both programs’ elite broodmare bands,” Wellman said.

Bred in Kentucky by the Riggio family’s My Meadowview, Tapwrit is out of the Grade 1-winning Successful Appeal mare Appealing Zophie, who is the dam of three winners from five foals to race.

The colt’s extended family includes Grade 1 winners Croeso and Super May; Grade 2 winner Diamond on the Run; Grade 3 winners Ide, Buddy’s Humor, and Miss Lodi; Venezuelan Horse of the Year My Own Business; Venezuelan champion Tite; and Peruvian champion Ryans Charm.

Tapwrit sold to the partnership of Eclipse, Bridlewood, and LaPenta for $1.2 million at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale.

He will be the third son of Tapit to stand at Gainesway, following 2012 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Tapizar and Grade 2 winner Anchor Down.

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