4th-Belmont, $90,000, Msw, 6-26, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:17.20, ft, 4 lengths.
SAINT TAPIT (c, 3, Tapit–Havre de Grace {Horse Of The Year, Ch. Older Mare, MGISW, $2,586,175}, by Saint Liam), the fifth foal to race out of 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace, flashed potential that he might be her most talented foal to date with a convincing first-out success Sunday at Belmont. Showing an above average but not eye-popping worktab, capped by a half-mile gate breeze over this track in :48 4/5 (17/61) June 19, the homebred opened up chilly on the board, but took more and more money in the waning minutes before post time and broke as the narrow 19-10 second choice. Showing speed from the rail before getting shuffled a bit as frontrunning longshot Upper Level (Midnight Storm) cleared through a :23.07 quarter, the blaze-faced chestnut put increasing pressure on that rival around the turn and poked his head in front turning for home. Getting clear past midstretch, Saint Tapit was never threatened from there and hit the wire four lengths to the good. Golden Alchemist (Nyquist) won a tight photo for second. The winner is a full-brother to Graceful Princess, GSW, $264,474. Famously bought for $10 million by Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, Havre de Grace is responsible for a yearling colt by Justify. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC; B-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
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