For the second time in as many days a Tapit juvenile won their debut at Saratoga. Following Running Tap's victory on Thursday, Tap for Luck was a 2 1/4-length winner in a five furlong maiden special weight for fillies on Aug. 20.
A gray or roan like her sire, Tap for Luck was always in the mix from the outset of the five panels. She chased the leaders from the third spot while a few paths off the rail on the backstretch, then began a steady advance towards the front-runners at the top of the stretch. She took the lead about a furlong from the wire and was going much the best at the finish. She stopped the clock in :57.59, less than a second off the track record.
Tap for Luck earned $30,000 for the victory. She races in the colors of Summit West Racing and the Robert and Beverly Lewis Trust. She is trained by Todd Pletcher.
Tap for Luck is the second foal out of Foxy Friend, who is a half-sister to the English Group 3 winner Freefourracing, also a winner of the listed Indian Summer S. at Keeneland. The family also includes Kamsack, runner-up in the Grade 2 Del Mar Futurity.
Tapit now has eight individual 2-year-old winners in 2010, and three in just the past five days. Besides his two Saratoga winners, his daughter Tell a Kelly was a 2 1/2-length winner in a six furlong maiden race at Del Mar on Aug. 15. The chestnut filly is trained by John Sadler for Ike and Dawn Thrash.
Gainesway will be offering the half-brother to Tap for Luck, by Consolidator, at the Keeneland yearling sale, which runs Sept. 12-26. You can view the catalog page for hip No. 3355
here.