Tap to Open scored a 3 1/4-length triumph in the $300,000 Grade 2 Mother Goose Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Nov. 7 at Belmont Park. It was a nifty way to gain graded stakes laurels and build some optimism for what the connections hope will be a productive 4-year-old campaign in 2027.

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"Once she got two turns and an extended distance, she showed she's bred to go a mile and an eighth or more," trainer Brad Cox said after the win by Tap to Open. "This was a mile and a sixteenth around one turn today, but the more distance the better for her going forward. This was a good fit."

Tap to Open, a daughter of Tapit out of the Indian Charlie mare I'll Take Charge, came into the Mother Goose after rallying to finish a wide fourth behind Bodacious Bay in the Sept. 19 Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing. A winner of four of eight career starts, she had won the Cathryn Sophia Stakes at Parx prior to the Cotillion.

Bodacious Bay was the 4-5 favorite in the Mother Goose, but she was unable to carry her speed as she did in the Cotillion. She dueled on the front end with 17-1 longshot Iron Orchard down Belmont's long backstretch through a fast :45.94 opening half-mile and faded to fourth in the stretch after the pace pressure caught up with her.

Jockey Manny Franco kept Tap to Open reserved in fourth along the inside, 1 1/2 lengths off the lead. Taking advantage of an opening along the rail turning into the stretch, Franco and Tap to Open ($12.72 to win) quickly motored to the front and drew off to an easy win in 1:41.72 for the 1 1/16th miles.

"We liked the idea of giving her a target. We figured out she responds better with horses in front of her in the lane. She was able to put it all together today and win stylishly," Cox said.

Answered Prayers rallied from last in her graded stakes debut to grab second for trainer Bill Mott, who notched two stakes wins earlier on the card. The daughter of Speightstown was two lengths ahead of Tahlequah back in third.

Cox said he would likely target the Dec. 6 Grade 3 Comely Stakes going 1 1/8 miles at Belmont Park for Tap to Open's next start.

Stimulate Wins Dwyer, Hands Ted Noffey First Career Defeat

After a dazzling, perfect juvenile season in 2025 and a year-long hiatus since then, a "rusty" Ted Noffey failed to show the verve that made him an undefeated champion when finishing fifth by 12 1/2 lengths in Belmont Park's $200,000 Dwyer Stakes on Nov. 7 in his first start since his victory in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile on Oct. 31, 2025.

Ted Noffey was fifth in first race since 2025 Breeders' Cup (Eclipse Sportswire)

In what was a delayed 3-year-old debut for Ted Noffey, Spendthrift Farm's Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male champ of 2025 suffered the first loss in five career starts. He spent much of this year sidelined since late January due to bone bruising.

The decisive winner of the Dwyer was Stimulate ($20.56), who rallied from fourth, took charge in the stretch, and motored to a 7 1/2-length win in a quick one-mile time of 1:33.64.

"Visually it was pretty good. I guess the time backed it up," said Stimulate's trainer Mott said.

Ridden by Junior Alvarado, Stimulate posted his third lifetime win in five starts.

Ted Noffey and jockey John Velazquez raced back in the field much of the way and failed to fire.

"He was probably a little rusty off the layoff. Anytime you have an undefeated 2-year-old champion you want to win, but we were also realistic that he hasn't run in 13 months and this is a difficult assignment," trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Pletcher said he would talk with the Spendthrift Team before deciding on what's next for Ted Noffey.