Tacitus

By: Alan Porter

A three-time grade two winner, Tacitus also earned places in seven other graded stakes, including the Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1), Travers Stakes (G1), Woodward Handicap (G1), and two renewals of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). By Tapit, record-breaking three-time Leading Sire and now a sire of sires, out of Champion Close Hatches, he from the fabulous Best in Show family that has produced no less than 29 stallions who have sired grade one winners.  

Tapit and sons has enjoyed remarkable success with mares from the Storm Cat branch of Northern Dancer. This includes Champion Monomoy Girl by a son of Tapit out of a mare by Henny Hughes, who is by Hennessy, himself the broodmare sire of a Tapit grade one winner, and sire of Johannesburg (sire of Scat Daddy), also broodmare sire of a Tapit stakes winner. Tapit line Champions Hansen and British Idiom are out of mares by Storm Cat sons Sir Cat, and Mr. Sekiguchi. There are also Tapit grade one winners from daughters of Forestry (sire of Discreet Cat and Shackleford), Giant’s Causeway (sire of First Samurai, Eskendereya, Creative Cause and Not This Time, and a brother to Freud) Tabasco Cat, Bluegrass Cat, Yankee Gentleman and Seeking the DIa. Out mares by Harlan’s Holiday (sire of Into Mischief) there are three graded winners, and there is also a graded winner out of a mare by Menifee, who like Harlan’s Holiday is by Harlan. We can also note Tapit graded winners out of mares by Storm Cat line stallions Forest Wildcat (sire of Wildcat Heir), Forestry and Catienus, and stakes winners out of mares by Stormin Fever, Pure Prize, Hold That Tiger and City Place.

From the Deputy Minister branch of Northern Dancer, Tapit has sired outstanding grade one winners Frosted and Tapizar from daughters of Deputy Minister himself. Grade one winner American Gal is by a son of Tapit out of a mare by Ghostzapper (by Awesome Again, also sire of Toccet, Daaher and Awesome ). He and his sons also have graded winners out of mares by Graeme Hall, a son of the Deputy Minister stallion, Dehere (also broodmare sire of a Tapit line stakes winner) and French Deputy, and stakes winners out of mares by Touch Gold and Posse and Spring At Last. Tapit has also sired graded stakes winner Hightap out of a mare by Regal Classic, by Vice Regent, the sire of Deputy Minister.

Sadler’s Wells is another branch of the Northern Dancer line, and on the Tapit cross with that line there are grade one winners out of mares by Galileo (sire in the U.S. of Cape Blanco and Magician) and El Prado and his son, Kittens Joy. There are also two graded winners out of mares by El Prado son, Medaglia d’Oro (and two stakes winners out of a mare by Medaglia d’Oro son, Warrior’s Reward), which also suggests Artie Schiller. There also stakes winners out of mares by Sadler’s Wells line stallions High Chaparral and Horse Chestnut.

From the Danzig branch of Northern Dancer, Tapit has graded winners Souper Tapit and Silver Dust out of mares by Hard Spun, and there are also Tapit line stakes winners out of mares by War Chang, Belong to Me, Exchange Rate, Danzig Connection and Boundary (sire of Big Brown), Anabaa and Exceed and Excel (by Danehill). This would also suggest War Front (who looks particularly interesting here) and Langfuhr. From the Dixieland Band branch of Northern Dancer, Tapit has a graded stakes iwnner out of a mare by Dixieland Band  himself, and there are five graded stakes winners out of 

Out of mares descending from Icecapade – a three-quarters relative to Northern Dancer – through Wild Again, Tapit has grade one winner Joyful Victory and graded winner War Echo out of mares by Wild Again himself, a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Milwaukee Brew, and a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Wild Rush. Wild Again could also be brought in through Offlee Wild and Whiskey Wisdom (also broodmare sire of a Tapit line stakes winner). 

Tapit and sons have enjoyed success with some specific branches of Mr. Prospector. Tapit’s champion and classic winner Essential Quality is out of a mare by Elusive Quality (sire of Quality Road and Smarty Jones), a son of Gone West. From other sons of that stallion, we find grade one winners out of mares by Mr. Greeley and Proud Citizen, and graded stakes winners from mares by Muqtarib, Johar and Grand Slam. This also suggests trying mares by Speightstown and his son, Munnings.

There also seems to be an affinity for the Forty Niner branch of Mr. Prospector, with grade one winner Constitution out of a daughter of Distorted Humor (sire Sharp Humor, Maclean’s Music and Jimmy Creed); grade one winner Dance Card out of a mare by Editor’s Note; as well as two stakes winners out of mares by Coronado’s Quest, and stakes winners out of a mare by Bankers Gold, Sunday Break and End Sweep (sire of Trippi). 

From a mare by Mr. Prospector son, Carson City, Tapit sired grade one winner Pretty City Dancer, and two other graded stakes winners, who would suggest daughters of City Zip and Cuvee – both broodmare sires of Tapit line stakes winners – Five Star Day, Good And Tough, Pollard’s Vision and Lord Carson. There is a Tapit graded winners out of mares Smoke Glacken and Ponche, both sons of Two Punch; Tapit line graded winners out of mares by Cape Town and his sire, Seeking the Gold (also sire of Petitionville and Mutakddim); two graded winners out of mare by Street Cry (sire of Street Sense and Street Boss); out of mares from the Smart Strike line there is a Tapit line graded stakes winner out of a mare by Curlin; two stakes winners out of mares by Roman Ruler, a son of Fusaichi Pegasus; and a stakes winner out of a mare by Lemon Drop Kid.

Tacitus is out of a Champion by a son of Unbridled’s Song, from the Unbridled branch and Fappiano, it could be worth try him back with Fappiano line mares.  Tapit is sire of grade one winner Ring Weekend out of a mare by Fappiano line stallion, Cryptoclearance, and a stakes winner by out of a mare by his son, Crypto Star, inviting daughters of Candy Ride (sire of Twirling Candy) and Victory Gallop.  

First Defence, broodmare sire of Tacitus is an Unbridled’s Song/Seattle Slew cross, and his dam, Champion Close Hatches is an Unbridled’s Song/Storm Cat cross. Mares by Dunkirk and Midshipman would duplicate the Unbridled’s Song/Seattle Slew cross, and mares by Buddha, Half Ours and Noonmark would reinforce the Unbridled’s Song/StormCat cross. Unbridled’s Song could also be brought in through Rockport Harbor, Old Fashioned, Even The Score, Mission Impazible and Songandaprayer. From other branches of the Unbridled line come Broken Vow, Grindstone, Birdstone and Empire Maker (sire of Pioneerof the Nile and Bodemeister, and grandsire of American Pharoah and Cairo Prince). It could also pay to consider introducing Fappiano through Rubiano – a three-quarters brother to the dam of Tapit – and Quiet American (grandsire of Midnight Lute).

Out of Blushing Groom line mares, Tapit and sons have sired graded stakes winners out of mares by Orientate (by Mt. Livermore), Cherokee Run (sire of Yonaguska – also broodmare sire of a Tapit line stakes winner – and Kafwain) and Rahy.  Tapit’s Champion Untapable is out of a mare by Prized, by Kris S (also sire of Arch and his son, Blame and Rock Hard Ten – all broodmare sires of aTapit line graded stakes winners –and You and I). Kris S is by Roberto, also sire of Dynaformer and Red Ransom.

Tapit also has a graded winner by In Excess and there is also another out of a mare by his son Indian Charlie, and a stakes winner out of a mare by that hors’s son, Uncle Mo. In Excess is also sire of Rocky Bar, Notional and Bring the Heat, and Indian Charlie is additionally represented by Adios Charlie, Bwana Charlie, Liaison and Cinco Charlie. 

There is also a stakes winner out of a mare by Cozzene, from another branch of Caro. He has classic winner Tonalist out of a mare by Pleasant Colony (sire of Pleasantly Perfect), and a grade one winner out of a mare by Concern, who is by Broad Brush, a horse who has done well under Tapit’s sire, Pulpit, and who is also sire of Include. From the In Reality line, Tapit line stallions have three stakes winners, including classic winner Tapwrit. The cross of Tapit and sons over the Relaunch branch has underperformed, but has produced classic winner Tiz The Law, out of a mare by Tiznow (sire of Gemologist, Colonel John, Tiz Wonderful, Strong Mandate and Tourist).