RACE REPLAY BELOW ARTICLE
A stretch duel and a postrace objection Saturday could not slow Todd Pletcher’s dominant march toward Kentucky Derby 2023.
Pletcher’s latest major Derby prep winner is Tapit Trice. The Tapit colt fought his way past a game Verifying down the Keeneland stretch, scoring in the Grade 1, $1 million Blue Grass Stakes and solidifying his spot in the Churchill Downs starting gates May 6.
Tapit Trice’s victory followed those of stablemate Kingsbarns on March 25 in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and Forte last Saturday in the Florida Derby (G1). The son of Tapit has now won four consecutive races, including the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 11.
“We’re blessed,” Pletcher said. “We’ve had a good spring and now we’ve got to hope we have another good four weeks.
“... The distances, as they stretch out, we always felt like would make him better. I think (the 1 1/4 miles of the Kentucky Derby) is right in his wheelhouse.”
Under jockey Luis Saez, Tapit Trice broke Saturday from the inside post in a field of 11 as the 8-5 favorite. Clear the Air, the longest shot in the field at 86-1 odds, took the field through fractions of 23.32 seconds, 48.04 seconds and 1:12.57 through the first six furlongs with Verifying a close second.
Tapit Trice sat in seventh place through the first quarter-mile but, while running five-wide, moved up to fourth down the backstretch and third by the far turn. As Clear the Air gave way, Tapit Trice pulled alongside Verifying and set the stage for a showdown into the stretch.
Well ahead of the rest of the field, Tapit Trice and Verifying battled step-for-step to the 16th pole. At that point, Tapit Trice put a head in front and went on to score by a neck.
