Tap to Open takes control of the Mother Goose, NYRA Photo
Brian Bohl
Whisper Hill Farm’s Kentucky homebred Tap to Open notched her first graded stakes win against a stellar class, drawing away from seven rivals that included Grade 1 Cotillion-winner Bodacious Bay to post an impressive 3 1/4-length win in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Mother Goose, a 1 1/16-mile one-turn contest for 3-year-old fillies, at Belmont Park.
Tap to Open, trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, had won three in a row, including the Listed Cathryn Sophia in August at Parx Racing before running fourth in the Cotillion in September there. Making her New York debut, jockey Manny Franco kept his charge not far from pacesetter and Grade 1-winning New York-bred Iron Orchard, who led the eight-horse field through the opening quarter mile in 23.19 seconds on the fast track.
The Micah Husbands-piloted Bodacious Bay, who battled Iron Orchard, led at the half-mile mark in 45.94, with Franco keeping Tap to Open in close proximity. With three-quarters going in 1:10.62, Bodacious Bay maintained the edge when straightened for home, but Tap to Open capitalized on daylight near the rail to draw away from the tiring 4-5 favorite. Answered Prayers made a late bid from the far outside but Tap to Open did not relent to the wire, completing the course in 1:41.72.
Answered Prayers, conditioned by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, finished two lengths ahead of Tahlequah, while Bodacious Bay ran fourth. Run Wild, Intrepids Fantasy, Ati Girl and Iron Orchard completed the order of finish. Cognition, Laken and Ivy Girl were scratched.
Off at 5-1, Tap to Open returned $12.72 on a $2 win bet. The Tapit bay now has four wins in eight starts and improved her career earnings to $500,343. She is a full-sister to dual graded stakes-winner and Kentucky stallion Charge It.
Tap to Open gave Cox his second Mother Goose win in the last three runnings, joining Tarifa in 2024.
“Brad was a little bit skeptical of the one turn, but he liked the way she was training down in Kentucky,” said Dustin Dugas, assistant to Cox. “He shipped her up here and mentioned that she’s a bit of a stayer – she’s not one that will give you that big kick, and Manny just had her in a good position right when the running was going to start. When he tipped her down to the inside, she was in the position that she was and she fired. [Franco] was happy with everything that she gave him when asked.”
Franco earned his first Mother Goose win and also his second stakes win on the day after piloting Blazing Tiger to victory in the Carle Place two races prior.
“They told me she is kind of a one-paced filly, so I took it from there,” Franco said. “She’s the kind of filly that you have to ride her, so I wanted to be close to the pace and when the run starts, I was able to be close, so I think that helped me.
“I knew that hole would open up because the horse [Bodacious Bay] in front, I see the rider, he was looking to the outside, I say, ‘you go there, and I’m going to come inside.’ I knew I had horse under me so I knew she was going to go through,” Franco added.
Answered Prayers, ridden by Junior Alvarado, has finished first or second in each of her last six starts after running sixth in her debut in March at Gulfstream Park. The full-sister to the Grade 1 winner Olympiad entered off a second-place finish in the Seneca Overnight on September 19 at Churchill Downs won by Consequent, a filly who has now won all four of her starts.
Mott and Alvarado just missed their third collaborative stakes win on the card after taking the Listed Pumpkin Pie with Beauty Reigns in Race 6 and the Listed Dwyer with Stimulate in Race 8.
“Ran very good, just a little too far back today. It took a little bit to get her feet under her,” Alvarado said of Answered Prayers. “When she got into a rhythm, we were just too far back. Too much to do. She still put up a good run at the end and got a good second. Second best.
“She normally shows more speed than that,” Alvarado added. “Today, she broke very well, but she was struggling a little at the beginning, so I just let her settle and go with ‘Plan B.’ I think we were second best today.”
Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont Park with an eight-race program. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.
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