Tapiture rocketed to second on the First-Crop Sire list on Friday after a pair of the Darby Dan stallion’s 2-year-olds scored debut wins in maiden special weight races at Churchill Downs and Belterra Park.
Axiomo got the day started for his sire with a stirring come-from-behind win in a 5 1/2-furlong turf race at Churchill Downs. Bottled up between and behind horses most of the way, Axiomo went five-wide in mid-stretch, then ran past the leaders in the final sixteenth to defeat Field Pass by a neck.
Owned by Olympia Star, Inc. Axiomo picked up $54,848 for the win. Bred by Kidder and Cole, the winner is a half-brother to this year’s Davona Dale S. (G2) winner Jeltrin.
Later in the afternoon Kay Bee Gee glided to a three-length score going five furlongs on the main track. The filly had some trouble early on, but found clear running on the turn and drew off in the stretch to win convincingly.
Kay Bee Gee is owned by Keith Grass and bred by TK Stables LLC. The chestnut filly could have a future on the grass as well; her third dam Comtesse De Loir was a Group 1 winner in France and twice finished in the money in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1).
Friday’s results also made Tapiture the only freshman sire standing in Kentucky to have more than three winners.
