Racers from the four most recent crops of racing age by the legendary sire Tapit (by Pulpit) lit up the winner's circles across North America over the weekend.
In Kentucky, the 5-year-old Pauline's Pearl won the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Stakes at Ellis Park, racing the nine furlongs in 1:49.59 and bringing her earnings to $2.1 million. In Canada, the 4-year-old Tyson won the G3 Dominion Day Stakes at Woodbine, running the nine furlongs in 1:48.32 and bringing his earnings to US$145,972. In New York, the 3-year-old Fort Bragg won the G3 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont, running the mile in 1:35.37 and bringing his earnings to $321,300.
The Dwyer was the first stakes victory for Fort Bragg, who cost $700,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale and who finished second in the G2 Pat Day Stakes in his last previous start and had placed third in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity last season.
The Dominion Day was the first stakes victory for Tyson, who races for the breeders – Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Stretch Run Ventures – and who has won three of his four starts. His only loss to date was a third in the G2 Eclipse Stakes a month ago.
In contrast to the more lightly raced Fort Bragg and Tyson, Pauline's Pearl is a long-time stakes performer for owner-breeder Stonestreet. The gray mare has been a graded stakes winner at 3, 4, and 5, including the G1 La Troienne Stakes last year. She has won four G3 stakes, in addition to her G2 success this weekend.
Back in Kentucky, the 2-year-old Edified represented his crop by Tapit with distinction and won his debut at Ellis Park with authority, paying $21.70. A $650,0o0 yearling last year at Keeneland September, Edified is a half-brother to G1 winner Constellation (Bellamy Road), stakes winner Truth Seeker (Into Mischief) and to a trio of stakes-placed runners (Upper Room, Queen Mum, and Back Flip).
All of these are out of the stakes winner For Royalty (Not for Love). The producer herself is out of stakes winner Taft Little Queen (Irish Open), who is a full sister to stakes winner Irish Cherry, the dam of G1 winners Spun Sugar and Daaher, both by Awesome Again. Although she didn't produce a G1 winner, Taft Little Queen is the dam of four stakes winners, including G2 winner Kiss to Remember (Big Brown) and the listed winners For Royalty, Pete's Play Call (Munnings), and El Viento (El Corredor).
So far, Edified has only won his debut in good company, but it would be no surprise if he progressed into a black-type performer. This family gets stakes horses, and Tapit is no stranger to quality juveniles.
Considered in the light of his well-established reputation for siring classic performers, Tapit first made his mark of high distinction with a champion 2-year-old. A filly from the now 21-year-old gray's first crop put her sire on the map as a stallion to reckon with, and that race filly was Stardom Bound.
Bred in Kentucky by Fletcher Gray, Carolyn Gray, and John Youngblood, Stardom Bound was out of the stakes winner My White Corvette, a robust daughter of Tarr Road (Grey Dawn). My White Corvette won a stakes in her second start and subsequently placed third in the G2 Golden Rod at 2, as well as the G3 Honeybee the following season.
Stardom Bound was the fourth foal of her dam and was notably the best. A $50,000 Keeneland September yearling, Stardom Bound returned to the sales at 2 and made $375,000, selling to Christopher Paasch at the OBS March auction of juveniles in training.
At 2, Stardom Bound began her career with seconds in a maiden in July and in the G3 Sorrento Stakes in August at Del Mar. A staying 2-year-old, Stardom Bound hit her proper form with successive Grade 1 victories in the Del Mar Debutante, Oak Leaf Stakes, and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Shortly after the Breeders' Cup, Stardom Bound went through the ring at the Fasig-Tipton November sale and sold for $5.7 million to IEAH Stables.
Named champion of her division after those performances, Stardom Bound ran her streak of G1 successes to five with her first two starts at 3: the Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks. She finished third in her next start, the G1 Ashland, and was then off for seven months. She never regained her best form, did not win from a campaign of three starts at 4, and was sold privately to Shadai Farm in 2010, in foal to Big Brown.
As a result, all of Stardom Bound's foals have been bred in Japan and are relatively unknown here in the States. Bred to some of the best stallions in Japan, Stardom Bound has five foals of racing age, with four winners. Her second foal, Lord Kanunu (King Kamehameha) and third foal, April Mist (Deep Impact), were both stakes-placed during their careers on the turf.
Perhaps the most striking thing about the produce record of Stardom Bound is that she has been very unlucky. She was twice barren to super sire Deep Impact, and for five of the last six years, the mare has not produced a live foal. The 17-year-old does have a yearling filly by Orfevre, and Stardom Bound's two older daughters are both producers, with both of their first foals being 2-year-olds of 2023; so there remains a ray of hope that Stardom Bound, or one of her daughters, may yet produce a racer of quality similar to the champion herself.
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