Tapizar Off The Derby Trail With Injury

A well-beaten fifth in last weekend’s Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita, Tapizar (Tapit) has been pulled off the Kentucky Derby Trail due to a knee injury according to leading conditioner Steve Asmussen. The three year-old Kentucky-bred colt rose to prominence with a massive 10 length score in a maiden effort at Churchill Downs in 2010. His rousing front-running victory in the 2011 Sham Stakes immediately solidified his status as a leading contender for the Kentucky Derby.

The three year-old son of Tapit will require surgery and it was abundantly clear that something was off with Tapizar during the Grade 2 stakes contest as he wilted in the stretch to finish fifth after setting an especially hot pace.

Tapizar is due to be flown to Lexington, Kentucky for the operation and he is expected to require at least six weeks of recovery before connections will know whether he will get back to his best.

The loss last weekend prompted a number of ante post markets to remove Tapizar from contention – with a number of American racing observers declaring that he simply may not be capable of the two-turns requires to win the Big Dance.

Speaking to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Asmussen was downtrodden by the loss of one of the marquee names in his California contingent. “It’s very, very disappointing – I feel bad for everybody involved.”