Tapit

A colt by leading sire Tapit (hip 249) was the first to top seven figures when selling for $1,000,000 to Gayle Van Leer during Tuesday's session of the OBS Spring Sale. Consigned by Top Line Sales, the colt worked an eighth in :10. A $300,000 Keeneland September grad, he is out of MGISP Palacio de Amor and a half to MGSP Threefiveindia (Street Hero) and MSW Hero's Amor (Street Horo) who produced GSP Apprehend (Arrogate).

On a crisp Tuesday morning at Churchill Downs, Kentucky Derby 151 contenders Coal Battle (Coal Front) and Sandman (Tapit) turned in published workouts. Sandman, winner of the GI Arkansas Derby for D.J. Stable, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables, breezed at 7:15 a.m. (all time Eastern) with trainer Mark Casse's longtime exercise rider Froylan Garcia in the irons. The grey began his work with eighth-mile splits of :13.60 and :26.40 before registering an official final time of :49.60 for four furlongs. The colt galloped out five furlongs...

It's exceedingly rare to see a Kentucky Derby point race run on a Tuesday, but thanks to a week of catastrophic weather in the Commonwealth, that's what is happening at Keeneland as a field of seven line up to contest the last of the major Derby preps--the GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes. On the rail, and fortuitously drawn to the inside of a closer, is 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames (Maclean's Music). With the small field, the speedster will likely encounter considerably less traffic trouble than that post position would...

In racing, the advent of spring doesn't just mean delightful weather and foals capering through fields. It also means a multiplication of the number of graded events across the nation. The month of March boasted more graded races in the U.S. than January and February combined. With GI Kentucky Derby and Oaks preps in full swing, top older campaigners returning from winter breaks, and 2-year-old racing just around the corner, it's an exciting time in the sport. We took a look at trends and notable items from the country's graded...

If you want a historical prognosticator for success in the GI Kentucky Derby, you can't do much better than running well in the GI Florida Derby. The premier stakes for sophomores at Gulfstream Park has been around since 1952, and in 73 renewals, Florida Derby participants have gone on to win that year's Kentucky Derby 25 times-a better than 1-in-3 strike rate. For perspective, the next-most-productive preps are two far older races, the GI Champagne Stakes (which dates to 1867) and the GI Blue Grass Stakes (first run in 1911),...

9th-Oaklawn, $110,000, Msw, 3-28, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:44.75, gd, 1 length. MONEY GAME (c, 3, Candy Ride {Arg}--Miss Bling Bling, by Tapit) debuted with Lasix as a 7-1 shot here. The homebred was in no hurry out of the blocks and he trailed the field heading into the first turn. With a half-mile clocked at :47.03, the colt began to engage and he started a sweeping attack run around the the far turn. The chestnut's power was evident as he collared fellow firster and Triple Crown nominated Super Cruise (Uncle...

Given their current trajectories, Tapit ($214.6 million) will soon be overtaken by Into Mischief ($205.2 million) as the highest-earning stallion in American history. In terms of volume, however, their respective output just now happens to be virtually identical: Into Mischief, with bigger books across four fewer crops, tallies 1,735 named foals and 1,440 starters against 1,718 and 1,447 for his venerable rival. And though Spendthrift's champion recently nosed ahead by stakes winners (170/166), his upgraded mares are still cycling through and Tapit for now remains clear in the elite indices:...

We've taken the plunge into the deeper end of the prep pool for the GI Kentucky Derby. Five nine-furlong stakes each awarding 100 qualifying points are scheduled over the next two Saturdays, after which this list will expand to the Top 20. 1) CITIZEN BULL (c, Into Mischief--No Joke, by Distorted Humor) O-SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Tom J. Ryan, Waves Edge Capital LLC and Catherine Donovan; B-Robert Low & Lawana Low (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history:...

Bob Baffert has found himself in a familiar position as he once again brings a well-met runner into Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby with all the buzz behind him, this time in the form of 'TDN Rising Star' Cornucopian (Into Mischief), who has been made the 7-5 morning line favorite from the nine hole. Fresh off an unveiling which garnered the stamp of approval from the TDN, and stopped the clock in a six-furlong maiden special in an eye-catching 1:09.02--the fastest by a 3-year-old in Oaklawn history--the son of Into Mischief...

Founded by Josephine Abercrombie in 1952, Pin Oak Stud has entered a new era under the ownership of Jim and Dana Bernhard. The Bernhards purchased Pin Oak Stud in November of 2022 and acquired an additional 465 acres from Adena Springs in September of 2023. "Pin Oak has always strived to breed horses that can compete at the pinnacle of our sport, this vision begins with the decisions that we make when selecting our matings each year," Pin Oak's Michael Hardy said. "Our team works in close collaboration, carefully selecting...

As racing across the nation heats up with spring nearly upon us, we take a look at trends and notable items from the country's graded races in February.  February featured 20 graded races from coast to coast. Five tracks hosted graded events during the month: Fair Grounds (4), Gulfstream Park (3), Oaklawn Park (4), Santa Anita Park (7), and Tampa Bay Downs (2). Four were Grade II events, while 16 were Grade III. Six were contested on turf, with 14 on dirt. Eight of the graded contests were for sophomores,...

Norman Stables' Coal Battle (Coal Front) scored one for the little guy Sunday at Oaklawn Park, overtaking pacesetting California invader Madaket Road (Quality Road) in upper stretch and leaving favored Sandman (Tapit) in his wake while striding home a 1 1/4-length winner of the GII Rebel Stakes. Sandman, who famously broke in a tangle before finishing a valiant second in the GIII Southwest Stakes a month ago, had most of the eyes on him as he broke professionally Sunday, but was unhurried and settled well off the pace as Madaket...