Winchell Thoroughbreds and Gainesway Thoroughbreds’ HIGHTAP (Tapit) settled
into the second flight of runners down the backstretch of Friday night’s
$200,000
Iowa Oaks (G3) at Prairie Meadows, came with her wide run rounding the turn
and held on by three parts of a length under jockey Shaun Bridgmohan to score
her second straight graded victory.
Don’ttalktome (Cactus Ridge) took the lead from her inside post when the
gates opened, setting splits of :23 4/5 and :46 2/5 while closely tracked by
Mein Fraulein (Saarland), who managed to get up by a half-length through six
furlongs in 1:01 3/5. All the while, Hightap and Bridgmohan were biding their
time while running between Hooh Why (Cloud Hopping) to the outside and Sweet
Relish (Smoke Glacken) on the inside. Hooh Why commenced her bid nearing the
turn, cutting Mein Fraulein’s advantage to just a head through a mile in 1:37
1/5.
By this time, though, Bridgmohan had sent his filly wide around the turn and
the pair overhauled their rivals in the stretch. Sweet Relish and Peach Brew
(Milwaukee Brew) were the only ones to make up any ground, but Hightap held on
at the line while completing 1 1/16 miles on the fast dirt in 1:44.
Sent off the 2-1 second choice in the six-horse field, Hightap returned
$6.20, $3.40 and $2.60 while keying the $19.80 exacta and $96.20 trifecta
(7-2-5). Sweet Relish was a neck in front of Peach Brew (Milwaukee Brew) on the
wire, paying $4 and $3.40 as the 7-2 third pick. Peach Brew was worth $3.60 at
6-1, and it was another 1 3/4 lengths back to 8-5 favorite Hooh Why in fourth.
Mein Fraulein followed by another neck, and Don’ttalktome trailed home in last.
Monterey Street (Candy Ride [Arg]) and Sweet and Flawless (Unbridled’s Song)
were withdrawn.
Hightap established herself as a filly to watch when breaking her maiden at
Fair Grounds in January by 9 1/4 lengths. She added an easy allowance win to her
line next out, but wasn’t able to keep up while making her stakes bow in the
Honeybee S. (G3), winding up seventh and last after steadying. The gray lass was
given a two-month break and returned last out to score a 3 1/4-length victory in
Churchill’s Dogwood S. (G3). Following Friday night’s win, she now has earned
$246,365 to go along with a 6-4-1-0 career mark.
Bred in Kentucky by Springland Farm, Hightap has passed through the sales
ring three times — bringing $87,000 as a Keeneland November weanling, RNAing at
$75,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling and purchased for $72,000 at
the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall sale.
The three-year-old filly is the first stakes winner, and starter, out of the
Regal Classic mare Don’tellmichelle, who has also produced an unnamed yearling
colt by Badge of Silver and a 2009 Corinthian colt. Don’tellmichelle is a
daughter of L’insatiable (Caveat), making her a half-sister to 2000 Breeders’ S.
winner and 2001 Canadian International (Can-G1) third Lodge Hill (Cozzene).
L’insatiable is herself a half-sibling to 1976 Canadian Horse of the Year and
Queen’s Plate scorer Norcliffe (Buckpasser). This is the same family as
Argentinean champion and multiple Group 1 winner El Sultan (Morning Bob).