- Feb 8
- 1 min read
With a big late move in Saturday's Gr3 Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park, Rancho Santa Fe (Tapit) strode closer to prominence on the Kentucky Derby Trail.
The colt out of MGSW Family Tree (Smart Strike) just missed a placing in the $1 million Southwest behind victorious Silent Tactic. Close to the pace early in the Southwest, Rancho Santa Fe yielded position on the turn but finished with strong interest down the Oaklawn stretch.
The Gary and Mary West homebred finished 5th in last month's Smarty Jones S. after winning both his juvenile starts in Kentucky. He would have an opportunity to earn his first qualifying points for the Derby in the next rounds of prep races.
Bred in partnership by Dell Ridge and Sam-Son Farms, Family Tree is dam to two other winners to date, including over $800,000 earner Heroic Move (Quality Road).
Family Tree is out of Ned Evans' homebred stakes winner Giant Mover (Giant's Causeway), 1/2 sister to both MGSW sprinter Gold Mover and 10-furlong Gr1 winner Dance Teacher.
