Winchell Thoroughbreds is no stranger to the Kentucky Derby trail. Over the years the breeding operation founded by the late Verne Winchell has bred and/or raced the likes of Pyro, Valiant Nature, Classic Go Go and Sea Cadet, all of whom carried the familiar maroon and white colors in the Run for the Roses. In fact, Mr. Winchell’s very first horse, Donut King, was a serious contender for the 1954 Kentucky Derby only to succumb to injury the week of the race. Mr. Winchell earned the moniker of ‘Donut King’ when establishing Winchell’s Donuts chain throughout the western U. S. of A. in the 1950’s.
2014 finds the Winchell family back on the Classics trail with a homebred named Tapiture, who earned his second graded stakes victory in Monday’s $300,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park. The Steve Asmussen-trained colt sat the inside trip from his rail post position but that’s not to say it was an easy race. He was part of a sensible early pace under rider Ricardo Santana, Jr. who had his charge on a long rein down the backstretch. It speaks well of Tapiture’s maturity that he handled several horses racing on his outside without gettting ‘rank’ or expending too much energy fighting his rider. Trip handicappers will rightly argue that Tapiture saved all the ground, especially compared to runner up Strong Mandate (who also bobbled slightly at the start). However, Tapiture’s willingness to follow Santana’s cues should serve him well should adversity strike in future contests.
Strong Mandate and Tapiture had met once previously with the former getting the better of Tapiture in a Maiden Special at Saratoga back in mid-August. Tapiture then split for Kentucky where he ran third in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) and another Maiden Special before breaking through for his first victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. Super Saver was the last horse win both the Kentucky Jockey Club and the Kentucky Derby, a feat he completed in 2010. Cannonade, winner of the 100th Derby in 1974, was the last previous horse to pull off this double under the Twin Spires.
Tapiture is by one of America’s great sires in Tapit, who commands a $150,000 stud fee this year. He’s the sire of recent Derby contenders Hansen and Flashback, who were/are best known for their early foot. Tapit is grandson of Belmont Stakes winner A. P. Indy out of a mare by Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled (and is inbred to England’s last Triple Crown winner Nijinsky II) so it is a little surprising that Hansen and Flashback are more typical of the Tapits. They can run on any surface but are speedy and typically best up to 9 furlongs.
Tapiture is out of the mare Free Spin, a winning daughter of Olympio, another top runner bred and raced by the Winchell’s. That son of Naskra won the 1991 Arkansas Derby (G2) and later proved adept on turf with wins in the American Derby (G2) (at 10 furlongs on the turf) and the grassy Grade 1 Hollywood Derby. Free Spin has produced two stakes-winning full siblings to Tapiture – Remit and Retap. Remit was a stakes winner at a mile, the limit of her distance capabilites. Retap’s crowning acheivement was a victory in the 7 furlong Riley Allison Futurity as a juvenile. Although there are certainly some distance components to Tapiture’s lineage, there is more pedigree evidence to suggest that 9 furlongs will be his distance ceiling.
The first round of major Kentucky Derby prep races yielded impressive performances by not only Tapiture but also Cairo Prince (Holy Bull Stakes), Candy Boy (Robert B. Lewis Stakes) and Vicar’s in Trouble (LeComte Stakes). Are these four flashes-in-the pan? Stay tuned….
Matt O'Neil Consulting 