Tapit sibling commands $1 million

Last updated: 4/7/14 7:27 PM

Gainesway, Mt. Brilliant and Robert LaPenta joined forces to secure the sale topper
(Keeneland Photo)

Gainesway, home of the red-hot sire Tapit (Pulpit), teamed up with partners
Mt. Brilliant and Robert LaPenta to purchase his three-quarter brother for $1
million at Monday’s Keeneland April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Like Tapit,
the colt is by an A.P. Indy stallion — in his case, Malibu Moon — and out of
the stakes-winning Unbridled mare Tap Your Heels.

Consigned by Niall Brennan Stables, agent, as Hip No. 55, the Kentucky-bred
chestnut became the first juvenile to bring seven figures at this sale since
Azeri’s son, Take Control, commanded $1.9 million in 2009. The April 29 foal had
worked one furlong in :9 4/5 at Thursday’s under tack show.

“He moved over the ground really well,” said Gainesway’s Antony Beck, who
signed the ticket. “He just skipped along effortlessly. He had great action and
he’s a large horse so hopefully he’ll win some stakes for us.”

Beck added that the sale topper would be trained by Chad Brown.

Tapit, an unbeaten juvenile who captured the 2003 Laurel Futurity (G3), later
scored his signature win at three in the 2004 Wood Memorial (G1). Prominent on
the leading sires list, the 13-year-old stallion is having a banner year, with
Florida Derby (G1) winner Constitution, Arkansas Derby (G1) contender Tapiture
and Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) romper Untapable among his headliners. Tapit has also
sired 2008 champion two-year-old filly Stardom Bound, 2011 champion two-year-old
male Hansen, 2009 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Tapitsfly, 2012
Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile victor Tapizar, and such fellow Grade 1 winners as
Joyful Victory, Careless Jewel, Zazu and Japan’s Testa Matta.

The two-year-old colt is also a three-quarter brother to Home From Oz
(Pulpit), dam of last year’s Japan Dirt Derby runner-up A Shin Gold (Medaglia
d’Oro), and a half-brother to the multiple stakes-placed Overandabeauty (Grand
Slam).

Their dam, Tap Your Heels, is herself a three-quarter sister to champion
sprinter and sire Rubiano (Fappiano). Also close up in the maternal line are In
Tune (Unbridled’s Song), the undefeated winner of the March 29 Gulfstream Oaks
(G2) who looms as a top threat in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1), and Summer Bird
(Birdstone), the champion three-year-old male of 2009 after victories in the
Belmont (G1), Travers (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).

Further back, this is the family of Relaunch and Glitterman, both Grade 3
winners on the track who are better remembered for their stud careers.

LaPenta, in the name of his Whitehorse Stables, then went to $770,000 for a
Kentucky-bred son of Medaglia d’Oro and Grade 1 star Victory Ride (Seeking the
Gold), who is also bound for Brown’s barn.

The Medaglia d’Oro-Victory Ride colt, who zipped a quarter-mile in a bullet :20, brought $770,000 from LaPenta’s Whitehorse Stables
(Keeneland Photo)

Cataloged as Hip 61, the bay blitzed a quarter-mile in a bullet :20 on
Thursday, setting the stage for a pinhook triumph. The February 3 colt
originally fetched $140,000 from Bradley Thoroughbreds, agent, as a Keeneland
September yearling, and was offered by Eddie Woods, agent, here.

“He’s got
some speed on the bottom,” LaPenta’s Racing Manager John Panagot said.
“He’s obviously by Medaglia d’Oro, one of the boss’s favorites, and out of a
stakes-winning mare that can fly.”

Victory Ride, winner of a trio of stakes led by the 2001 Test (G1), is also
responsible for the Grade 2-placed Magical Ride (Storm Cat). Magical Ride is in
the news as the dam of Triple Crown nominee Ride On Curlin (Curlin). Third in
the Champagne (G1), Street Sense, Southwest (G3) and Rebel (G2), he seeks a
breakthrough in Saturday’s Arkansas Derby.

Herself a half-sister to Grade 1-winning sire River Flyer (Riverman), Victory
Ride descends from the influential matron Bourtai (Stimulus), via her champion
daughter and noted producer Bayou (Hill Prince).

Freshman sire Tale of Ekati had a colt from his first crop, TALE OF VERVE,
sell to Six Friends Syndicate for $440,000. First bought by trainer Dallas
Stewart for $150,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga last August, the pinhook success
came from the consignment of Wavertree Stables (Ciaran Dunne), agent.

Tale of Verve worked his eighth in :10 1/5 while sporting Hip 59. The April
12 bay was produced by the Unbridled mare Verve, a half-sister to Grade 1
heroine Zoftig (Cozzene), who is in turn the dam of Grade 1 winners Zaftig (Gone
West) and Zo Impressive (Hard Spun).

Rounding out the top four overall, and ranking as the sale’s leading filly,
was a $400,000 full sister to 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G2)
winner More Than Real (More Than Ready) who was snapped up by Three Chimneys
Farm, agent. The dark bay appeared early in the session as Hip 11, and like the
$1 million colt, was consigned by Brennan. The dynamic duo helped Brennan’s
agency become the leading consignor, with six horses selling for $2.36 million.

The April 16 filly, who motored her furlong in :9 3/5, is out of five-time
stakes victress Miss Seffens (Dehere). The juvenile’s second dam, stakes scorer
Noise Enough (Bold Ruckus), is a full sister to Grade 3-winning sire Katahaula
County.

The auction was notable for its high number of outs, for 75 of the 125 horses
cataloged were withdrawn. That contributed to a 24.7 percent decline in gross
from last year. On Monday, Keeneland reported that 38 horses sold for a total of
$8,769,000, compared to $11,640,000 realized by 59 juveniles in 2013.

The average and median, however, were both up. The $230,763 average increased
17 percent from last year’s $197,288, while the median jumped 33.3 percent, from
$150,000 to $200,000.

“We sold the first horse for $1 million in many years and the second-highest
price ($770,000) was higher than last year,” Keeneland Director of Sales
Geoffrey Russell said.

“A disappointing number of outs but, unfortunately, Keeneland doesn’t have
any control over that. The horses that went through the ring sold very well.
There was a large number of trainers and a healthy pool of buyers here,
underlining the fact that Keeneland is a great place to sell two-year-olds.”

For complete results, visit

keeneland.com.