Fappiano

Fappiano (May 19, 1977 – September 3, 1990) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was named for Joseph C. Nichols (1905–1984), a long-time sportswriter for The New York Times, who was born Giuseppe Carmine Fappiano.[1]

Fappiano was bred and raced by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer John Nerud and trained by his son, Jan. Bred in Florida, Fappiano was out of the mare Killaloe, a daughter of Hall of Fame inductee Dr. Fager. His sire was the very important Mr. Prospector, a North American two-time Leading Sire and nine-time leading broodmare sire.

Fappiano was undefeated in four starts at age two and won the six-furlong Morven Stakes in 1:08 3/5, a Meadowlands Racetrack record which still stands for that stakes event. He went on to win several important races, including the 1981 Grade I Metropolitan Handicap. However, he is best known as a sire and a sire of sires. At the end of 1981, he was retired and syndicated for a reported $300,000 per share. He stood at stud at Tartan Farms near Ocala, Florida, where he stood until the summer of 1987. He was then moved to Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky.

Fappiano was the grandsire of two different horses that combined to win all three U.S. Triple Crown races in the same year when Real Quiet won the 1998 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, and Victory Gallop won the 1998 Belmont Stakes. Fappiano is also the grandsire of Peppers Pride, who holds the record for most consecutive wins at nineteen. Through Unbridled, Fappiano is also the great-great-grandsire of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

In early September 1990, Fappiano was humanely euthanized following a chronic case of laminitis.

Fappiano notably sired:

• Tasso (b. 1983) – won 1985 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, voted American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt;
• Cryptoclearance (b. 1984) – multiple stakes winner with career earnings of US$3,376,327, sired Victory Gallop, Volponi;
• Tappiano (b. 1984) – won Spinaway Stakes, Demoiselle Stakes, Matron Stakes, career earnings of US$1,305,522;
• Quiet American (b. 1986) – won NYRA Mile Handicap, sire of Real Quiet;
• Some Romance (b. 1986) – won Frizette Stakes, Matron Stakes;
• Defensive Play (b. 1987) – won Man o' War Stakes, Strub Stakes, career earnings of US$1,695,557;
• Grand Canyon (b. 1987) – won Hollywood Futurity, Norfolk Stakes, career earnings of $1,019,540;
• Rubiano (b. 1987) – multiple stakes winner with career earnings US$1,203,457, voted American Champion Sprint Horse in 1992;
• Unbridled (b. 1987) – won 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic, voted American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse, career earnings of US$4,489,475;
• Cahill Road (b. 1988) – won Wood Memorial Stakes.