Edward P. Evans’ homebred TAP DAY (Pleasant Tap) had been knocking on the
door with top three placings in the Suburban H. (G1) and Saratoga Breeders’ Cup
H. (G2) in his previous two starts and registered his first graded win in style
on Friday night at the Big M, closing boldly through the stretch to win the
$500,000
Meadowlands Breeders’ Cup (G2) going away by three lengths. Jockey
Eibar Coa lost his stirrup entering the first turn but quickly recovered, and
the Mark Hennig-trained Tap Day proceeded to cover nine furlongs on the fast
track in
1:48 4/5 in the rainy conditions.
The four-year-old was unhurried early as Unforgettable Max (Northern Afleet) set the
early pace in :23 2/5 and :47 with 5-2 second choice Purge (Pulpit) tracking in
second. Purge took the lead into the far turn, posting three-quarters in 1:10
1/5, but 5-2 favorite Alumni Hall (A.P. Indy) was steadily advancing and Tap Day
was moving strongly while four wide. The eventual winner reached the leaders in
midstretch, dueling briefly with Alumni Hall as Purge gave way, and pulled clear
late.
Tap Day returned $9, $4.40 and $3.60 at 7-2 and keyed the $36 exacta with
Alumni Hall, who gave back $3.20 and $2.80. Purge finished another 1 1/4 lengths
back and paid $3.60. The $1 trifecta totaled $70.10, and the 3-5-2-6
superfecta ($1), with the late-running Request for Parole (Judge T C) in fourth
at 13-1, was good for $704.40. Itsawonderfulife (Skip Away), Unforgettable Max,
Ice Wynnd Fire (Northern Afleet) and Royal Assault (Kris S.) completed the order
of finish. Zoffinger (Unbridled) was scratched.
Bred in Virginia, Tap Day is the second registered foal from the winning Dayjur mare Day
Mate and has an unraced two-year-old half-brother named Marina Monster (Honour
and Glory) and an unnamed yearling half-brother by Stormin Fever. Winner of the
2004 runnings of the Dave Feldman S. and Princeton S., the latter at
Meadowlands, the dark bay colt opened this season with a score in the Challenger S. at Tampa Bay Downs and captured Monmouth Park’s Frisk Me Now S. by
9 1/4 lengths prior to finishing second in the Suburban. Tap Day has now earned
$717,187 from a 21-10-2-1 line.
“He had a lot of work to do at the eighth-pole, but he was ready,” Hennig
said. “Those were two very nice horses in front of him. He had an edge because he’s
run here before and he likes the track. We’ll certainly take a look at it (the
Breeders’ Cup Classic [G1] on October 29) and if the numbers warrant it, we’ll
put him there.”