Tapit's 3-year-old daughter Joyful Victory romped to an 8 3/4-length win in the $125,000 Honeybee S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park on March 12 (VIDEO), stamping herself as a leading contender for the Kentucky Oaks later this spring at Churchill Downs.

Joyful Victory became the 28th career stakes winner, 13th Graded winner by America's 2nd Leading Sire Tapit. The new Graded stakes victory also made Tapit the co-leading sire of Graded stakes winner this year.

The Honeybee marked several firsts for Joyful Victory: She notched her first win in a graded stakes; it was her 2011 debut; her initial start with blinkers; and also her first time being saddled by Larry Jones, who won his fourth consecutive Honeybee. Joyful Victory was trained last year by Tony Dutrow.

Settled nicely in fifth for the first half of the 1 1/16 mile trip, Joyful Victory made a sweeping three-wide move on the turn to quickly open up on the field. Down the stretch, Mike Smith had little to do as his filly powered away from the field, stopping the clock in 1:44.83.

“It set up almost too good to tell you the truth,” said Smith. “I hit her twice just to make sure, but she was home by then.”

The Honeybee marked the second win in four starts for Joyful Victory. She broke her maiden first time out at Delaware Park on Sept. 11, then came back a month later to be third in the Frizette (G1). Her record now stands at 2-0-1, with earnings of $200,100.

Joyful Victory was bred in Canada by William D. Graham. Rick Porter, principal of Fox Hill Farm, bought her for $400,000 out of the 2010 Fasig-Tipton February 2-year-old in training sale. She was the second-highest selling filly at the Calder auction.