Tapit Trice

Tapit Trice rallied late to finish third in his career debut Nov. 6, 2022, at Aqueduct in a one-mile race. He earned a hard-fought win in his second start by outlasting Slip Mahoney to prevail by a neck Dec. 17 on a muddy track at Aqueduct for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

Pletcher shipped him to Florida for the winter and he won his first start as a 3-year-old by eight lengths after stalking the pace in another one-mile race, this time at Gulfstream Park Feb. 3, 2023.

The eye-catching gray or roan colt by leading sire Tapit made his stakes debut March 11 in the $400,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby, a qualifying race for the 2023 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. Tapit Trice got off to a slow start and trailed the 12-horse field early, however, he uncoiled a sustained rally after a sweeping bid into the stretch to complete a last-to-first rally under Luis Saez. The 50 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby virtually guaranteed Tapit Trice a start spot in the run for the roses on May 6 at Churchill Downs.

Tapit Trice made a compelling case as a top Kentucky Derby contender in his final prep race as he outfinished a determined Verifying in a thrilling stretch duel to win the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland April 8. He completed the 1 1/8-mile race in 1:50 and finished powerfully with a final furlong in 12.40 seconds.

Tapit Trice subsequently finished seventh in the Kentucky Derby. He returned five weeks later for another try in the Belmont Stakes, but again was denied in a third-place finish.

Tapit Trice continued to keep top-level company in the races following the Triple Crown, but with limited success. He finished fifth in the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park, and then finished a distant third in the Travers Stakes on Aug. 26 at Saratoga.

Mandy Pope of Whisper Hill Farm purchased Tapit Trice for $1.3 million at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale from the consignment of breeders Gainesway Farm. After the purchase, Gainseway maintained an interest in the high-priced yearling. Multiple stakes winner Danzatrice, by Dunkirk, is the dam (mother) of Tapit Trice. Danzatrice is a half-sister (same dam, different sire) to 2018 champion 2-year-old filly Jaywalk.