Tappan Street Retired to Stud at WinStar Farm

Tappan Street, who won the 2025 Florida Derby (G1) and is a son of seven-time leading sire Into Mischief, has been retired and will enter stud at WinStar Farm, the farm announced Aug. 25. A stud fee for the 2027 breeding season will be announced at a later date. "Tappan Street is an elite son of Into Mischief from an outstanding family," said Liam O'Rourke, WinStar Farm's director of bloodstock services. "He stamped himself among the leaders of his generation with a dominant win in the Florida Derby. The Florida Derby is a very important race to the stud book and a great measure of talent. We can't wait to show him to breeders, and I'm confident they will see why he commanded seven figures as a yearling." Bred in Kentucky by Blue Heaven Farm, Tappan Street sold for $1 million during Fasig-Tipton's 2023 The Saratoga Sale to China Horse Club, Siena Farm, and Maverick Racing out of St. George Sales' consignment. The ownership group later expanded to include Cold Press Racing and Qatar Racing. Tappan Street made his one start at 2 a winning one and became graded stakes-placed in his first start at 3, when he was runner-up in the Holy Bull Stakes (G3). In his third career start, he captured the $1.02 million Florida Derby and became the only horse to defeat subsequent 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and Horse of the Year Sovereignty during his 3-year-old campaign. Tappan Street missed a shot in the Kentucky Derby because of a condylar fracture, from which he would fully recover. Trained by Brad Cox, Tappan Street covered the Florida Derby's 1 1/8 miles in a rapid 1:49.27, the fastest 9 furlongs by a 3-year-old at Gulfstream Park in 2025, and faster than recent Florida Derby winners Commandment, Forte, White Abarrio, Tiz the Law, and Audible. The colt retired with a 3-1-0 record from six starts and earnings of $677,900. Tappan Street impressed in his racing debut at Gulfstream, where he won a 7-furlong maiden special weight by 1 3/4 lengths in a final time of 1:23.46, which earned him a 93 Equibase Speed Figure. The final time was the fastest at 7 furlongs by a juvenile in a maiden special weight at Gulfstream in 4 1/2 years, according to WinStar. "Tappan Street showed us from Day 1 that he was an exceptional athlete," Cox said. "His final time when breaking his maiden going 7 furlongs at Gulfstream as a 2-year-old vindicated our hope for him. His win in the Florida Derby over Sovereignty was a unique accomplishment that no other 3-year-old can match." Blue Heaven bred Tappan Street out of the graded-placed winner Virginia Key, a daughter of WinStar's marquee sire Distorted Humor and out of graded stakes winner Our Khrysty. Virginia Key is a half sister to grade 1 winner Grace Adler (Curlin) and multiple grade 1-placed, graded stakes winner Pyrenees (Into Mischief). Our Khrysty is a half sister to 2009 Whitney Handicap (G1) winner Bullsbay and two other black-type winners. The cross of Into Mischief with the Distorted Humor broodmare sire line has been a potent blend that has produced 18% stakes winners from 78 starters. The stars of this cross are grade 1 winners Citizen Bull, Life Is Good, Patch Adams, and Practical Joke. "Tappan Street was a standout yearling and among the most expensive we've ever purchased," said David Hanley, WinStar Farm's senior vice president/bloodstock services. "He matured into an exceptional physical specimen, and any replication should be well received commercially."