Tapit's Highest Honors Takes the Curlin S.

Highest Honors | Sarah Andrew

Highest Honors may have been the less fancied of the Chad Brown duo, but he was the one still running on in the end to earn his black-type badge in the Curlin S. at Saratoga Friday. Sent off at 4-1 with his unbeaten stablemate Looking at Bikinis favored at even-money, the Farish homebred was reserved at the back of the pack as his barnmate carved out opening splits of :24.23 and :49.36. Given the cue by Jose Ortiz on the backstretch, the gray made rapid progress to draw alongside the leader in tandem with Endorsed turning for home. Looking At Bikinis tried to battle back from the rail, but Endorsed and Highest Honors had more momentum as they knocked heads in the four and five paths, respectively. Highest Honors dug deep in the final strides to push clear of his stubborn foe and score, becoming the 124th black-type winner for leading sire Tapit.

Endorsed filled the place spot and Looking At Bikins hung on for third. GSW Cairo Cat (Cairo Prince) was a late scratch after rearing up and flipping over in the paddock. Trainer Ken McPeek tweeted that the colt returned to the barn in good order aside from a small scratch on his right side.

“I thought [Highest Honors] was doing really well and I thought Looking At Bikinis would be on the lead,” said Brown. “I was a little disappointed that [Looking At Bikinis] got tired when he did, turning for home, but he fought on bravely and still finished third. Today's day was for Highest Honors. He made that big sweeping move and we thought he would get a mile and an eighth in his first time [going] two turns and it looks like even a little more distance won't hurt him.”

As for whether the winner will go on to the GI Travers S. Aug. 24, Brown said, “It's a race we've been thinking about for a long time, knowing the horse wasn't going to get on the Derby trail early. He had some problems as a 2-year-old, and he got started late this year. We always thought he was very talented and the Travers was the dream.”

A neck second on debut sprinting at Keeneland Apr. 20, Highest Honors earned his diploma by a length next out when stretched to 1 1/16 miles at Belmont June 1. The gray is a half-brother to MGISW turfer Diamondrella, who summoned $1.5 million from Katsumi Yoshida at the 2013 Keeneland November Sale after RNAing for $1.1 million at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in 2009 and is the dam of GSW Spectroscope (Medaglia d'Oro). The winner is also a half to SW & MGISP Bonnie Blue Flag, who realized $1.5 million from Aaron and Marie Jones at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Tap Your Feet has a 2-year-old colt named Iron Bull (The Factor) and produced a Mineshaft filly Mar. 29 of this year. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

CURLIN S., $100,000, Saratoga, 7-26, (C), 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:52.27, my.
1–HIGHEST HONORS, 118, c, 3, by Tapit&hid=28277">Tapit
1st Dam: Tap Your Feet (SW, $125,930), by Dixieland Band
2nd Dam: Exotic Moves, by Miswaki
3rd Dam: Syrian Dancer, by Damascus
($750,000 RNA Ylg '17 FTSAUG). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN.
O/B-W. S. Farish (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Jose L. Ortiz.
$55,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $114,800. *1/2 to
Diamondrella (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), MGISW, $825,808;
and Bonnie Blue Flag (Mineshaft), SW & MGISP, $259,270.
2–Endorsed, 118, c, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Dance Card, by Tapit.
O/B-Godolphin LLC (KY); T-Kiaran P. McLaughlin. $20,000.
3–Looking At Bikinis, 120, c, 3, Lookin At Lucky–Bikini Beauty,
by Bernardini. ($45,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP; $240,000 2yo '18
OBSAPR). O-Long Lake Stable LLC, Madaket Stables LLC,
Thomas Coleman & Doheny Racing Stable; B-Neil Jones (KY);
T-Chad C. Brown. $12,000.
Margins: 1HF, 5, NK. Odds: 4.10, 8.50, 1.15.
Also Ran: Rowayton, Intrepid Heart, Direct Order. Scratched: Mo Gotcha, Grumps Little Tots, Cairo Cat.

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