Tapit Trice Turns In Furious Stretch Rally To Win Tampa Bay Derby

[Wandering Eyes]

Those who swallowed the skinny odds about 'TDN Rising Star' TAPIT TRICE (c, 3, Tapit–Danzatrice, by Unbridled's Song) in Saturday's GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby would not have been blamed for littering the Tampa apron with their torn tickets, perhaps as early as the first turn, as the $1.3-million Keneeland September Yearling was slowly into stride, took up a spot at the tail and didn't appear to be traveling over the oft-quirky surface at the Oldsmar oval. Under heavy urging from Luis Saez with a good 4 1/2 furlongs to go, the strapping gray colt looked an even less-likely winner passing the three-furlong pole, but he found his best stride in the final three-sixteenths of a mile and careered away late to–somehow–put open lengths on Classic Car Wash (Noble Bird) and Classic Legacy (Into Mischief), second and third, respectively, behind the Todd Pletcher-trained Litigate (Blame) in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. a month ago. Tapit Trice gives Pletcher a record-extending sixth win in the Derby, a race used en route to Kentucky Derby success by Street Sense some 16 years ago. He is the fourth son of Tapit to win the race since 2014, joining Ring Weekend, future GI Belmont S. hero Tapwrit and Tacitus. Tapit Trice is the 100th worldwide graded stakes winner and 159th stakes winner for his Gainesway-based stallion. Sales history: $1,300,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. O-Whisper Hill Farm LLC; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd (KY); T-Todd Pletcher.

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